The Letter E, from The Alphabet

Among the most remarkable engravings by this early engraver is a delightful series of twenty-three rare prints that formed an alphabet (alphabets of this period usually lack the letters j, v, and w). The artist composed each lowercase letter by interweaving both real and mythical people and animals. Here two dogs fight with a cat and a bird over a man's head. The cat's gently curving tail defines the upper portion of the letter. Little is known about the master whose name derives from the initials that appear on later works. Evidence suggests Master ES was trained as a goldsmith—he used goldsmiths' punches, tools that are hammered into the metal printing plate, to create patterns such as the small flowers and circles on the figure's tunic.