The exhibit “The Power of Prints” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is quietly subdued in comparison to some of the extravagant displays in the museum.

Upon entering the exhibit, which runs Jan. 22—May 22, there is an underwhelming feeling at first. There is not a lot of color, nor are there many flashy works of art. Rather, there are people walking around with magnifying glasses looking closely at intricate works of black and white text.

When inspecting closer, however, the exhibit displays an impressive variety of forms of calligraphy. There are letters adorned with flowering trees and fairy like figures. The Met believes that this calligraphy is significant because for a long time, penmanship was a marker of cultural advancement.

“The Power of Prints” also highlights many pieces of text where it is impossible to read the words without magnifying glasses. Many of the pieces look like rows of straight lines to the plain eye, but actually contain hidden meaning and words. The display also focuses on religious texts, arguably the origin of beautiful calligraphy. On display are bibles, prayers and religious texts from many different cultures and faiths.

A high point of the exhibit is Tony Fitzpatrick’s “Max and Gaby’s Alphabet”. The piece is large and colorful, standing out from the other works in the collection. There are 26 boxes, each with a letter of the alphabet and images to go with that letter. Fitzpatrick took suggestions from his children and drew inspiration from their ideas. The letter D contains a Dalmatian playing a bright pink drum, doves, dice and a yellow dandelion. The contrasting colors bring a sense of adventure and childlike emotion to the piece. One can imagine a similar, yet less detailed version of this piece hanging in their childhood bedroom.

However, the highlight of this exhibit was Martha Ann Honeywell’s, “The Lord’s Prayer.” Honeywell was born without hands, but she didn’t let that stop her from creating art. She learned how to use scissors with her mouth to cut shapes and create patterns. There is a light pink flower with beautiful embroidery-like overlay and text running through the center of the flower. This piece stands out not only for the stunning colors in an otherwise colorless exhibit, but also for Honeywell’s story.

Overall, “The Power of Prints” was unexpectedly exciting. At first glance, the exhibit seems dull and lifeless. But after looking into the story behind the work, the art comes to life in fascinating ways. The exhibit is small and quiet compared to others at the Met, but it is just as powerful.

“The Power of Prints” runs Jan. 22 – May 22 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A version of this article appeared in the Jan. 25th print edition. Email Talia Milavetz at [email protected].