Chromolithographs above, by David Ferland, circa 1850
We talked about the founders of the new typeface, Gutenberg, Griffo, and Manutius & their styles. We also discussed the transition to Enlightenment in England with Caslon and Baskerville and texts such as Gregory IX's Decretals, The Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, Vesalius's De Humani Corpore Fabrica, and Tyndale's Bible. And, of course, William Blake.
Go ahead.
13 comments:
I really enjoyed learning about the history of typefaces and how they evolved with the printing press, changes in aesthetic preferences, and changes in the usage of typeface for things like advertising displays. As typeface evolved, it became an art form in itself, with different letter shapes and spacing producing text that is beautiful and full of meaning, evokes specific emotions, and invites viewers to engage in certain behaviors or consume certain products.
In the 21st century, we can see the continued evolution of typeface via technological advancements. Additionally, there is an observable shift in recent typography trends away from digital presentations of text creation to a creation of text via tactile objects. As a result, contemporary typeface continuously melds traditional and contemporary practices in order to create the various fonts we know and use today.
Johannes Gutenberg, Francesco Griffo, and Aldus Manutius were key figures in the evolution of typography and the printing press, each contributing unique styles and innovations. Gutenberg's pioneering work with movable type in the 15th century transformed the way information was disseminated, utilizing a Blackletter script typeface that was bold and clear, setting a standard for early printed materials. Francesco Griffo, a contemporary of Gutenberg, collaborated with Aldus Manutius during the Renaissance in Venice. Griffo's significant contribution was the development of the first italic typeface, which Aldus Manutius employed to create compact and aesthetically pleasing editions of classical texts. Meanwhile, Manutius, known for popularizing the semicolon and introducing pocket-sized books, played a vital role in advancing printing practices and making literature more accessible to a wider audience. Together, their innovations and collaborative efforts ushered in a new era of typography and printing, shaping the course of communication and knowledge dissemination for centuries to come.
The Baskerville typeface was designed in the 18th century by John Baskerville. It is a typography full of elegance, delicacy, and clarity in design.
Curiously, this typeface influenced great typographers such as Didot or Bodoni, however, it fell into oblivion for 150 years until an American designer, Bruce Rogers, rescued it.
Baskerville is a clear, legible font that is very appropriate for textbooks. The uppercase letters are a little thicker than the lowercase letters and the latter gain roundness. Over time, this font becomes an excellent choice for printing books from ancient Rome, the Bible, newspapers, or books written by English poets.
Currently, it is also ideal for use on websites or blogs, due to its high diffusion. This type of font could be described as aristocratic, due to its elegance and balance. In 1763, the University of Cambridge commissioned what would become his most important work, a Bible.
After learning during class about William Blake and his roles in English society a curiosity was sparked to understand more about his work specifically engraving. William Blake was mostly known for his work as a poet and artist using his poems, prophesies, and paintings to display his vision and voice for rebellion against orthodoxy and repression as a whole. After being sent to drawing school at the age of 10 he learned many techniques in design where he went on to develop his technique, a blend of printing and engraving. Blake used stop-out varnish-like ink, and the copper plate like a sheet of paper, writing his text and drawing his design together onto the same copper plate. He flipped the process of traditional engraving. Conventional etching depends on the design being etched into the copperplate. Blake, however, decided to reverse this method by etching in relief, that is to say, he etched away the background and left the image and text standing up in relief, as in a woodcut.
I found the part about Vesalius’s De Humani Corporis to be very interesting. The idea of memento mori is something that I have been learning about more recently. I think it is interesting how Vesalius was able to portray that idea that we will die by his poses. The graceful poses he used for the skeletons and bodies were dynamic and made them feel more alive. I found that the image of the brain portrays memento mori the best. Rather than just showing a skeleton, a man with a mustache is drawn with the top of his head open to show the brain, which gives the feeling that that could be anyone and not just a skeleton. Today this might not seem like much, but at that time these discoveries were relatively new. So this way of portraying these scientific discoveries was innovative and never done before. Although a lot of emphasis was placed on the poses and images, it was designed in such a way that it was still detailed and educational.
-Jackson Harris
The Vitruvian Man has always interested me as it had such a big impact on the arts during the Renaissance. This drawing by da Vinci dealt with the concept of divine human proportions that were inscribed perfectly within a square and a circle. There’s also an exploration of anatomy, symmetry, and the mechanics of the human body. During this time period, humanism, a view that centered on the importance of humanity, emerged which was greatly supported through this piece. Not only did this heavily influence the arts, it had an everlasting impact on all subjects that advanced during the Renaissance, such as math, anatomy, etc. da Vinci was inspired by Vitruvius’s building guide that dealt with ideal proportions of the human body, and the geometries of perfect proportions. This work showed the diversity of da Vinci’s interests in the arts and sciences, and some considered him to be more of a scientist than an artist due to the level of sophistication in his works of art.
- John Kovacic
One thing that stood out to me last class was our discussion regarding the Gutenberg Bible. It was the first book printed using mass-produced moveable metal type. The typeface in the Bible is extremely beautiful and each of the rubrications was left blank during the printing so that they could be hand painted. This resulted in a beautiful and unique edition of the bible. The production of this bible was regarded as one of the most important events in the history of Europe due to the revolution of movable type. This made me think about how important design has been to the development of communication throughout history. The invention of the mechanical printing press made it much easier for people to share accumulated knowledge and learn from others. This must have been revolutionary because it spread so much knowledge across a wider range of the world. There are only three copies of the Gutenberg Bible which are considered perfect and are printed on vellum, which must have been extremely impressive to see at the time, and even today.
- Emma Friderici
Nice thread, class. Don't mind me. Remember: I'm closing this @ 2pm.
I was interested in our discussion about how technological advancements in printing during the Enlightenment period, late 17th to 18th centuries, led to the spread of information and freedom of press. It also marked a shift in intellectual thought and the spread of ideas. I found it interesting that print not only facilitated the spread of information but also gave it authority. When I think about the spread of information in today’s times, I associate it with electronic media and don’t automatically assume it's "authoritative." This shift over time is interesting, today there is more information available but less trusted sources.
I also enjoyed learning about John Baskerville and his contributions to type design and printing technology. His use of spacing between lines and wide margins made his prints legible, clean, and crisp. The neo-classical precision also added to this aesthetic. I appreciate that he oversaw the entire production, choosing the paper, making the ink, and pressing the words onto the page.
-Ben Rosen-Cappellazzo
After class I was intrigued by the facts behind Tyndale’s Bible and its influence on the English language. William Tyndale was an English biblical scholar and linguist who spoke six languages. Tyndale was the first to translate and create the English Bible that drew directly from the Hebrew and Greek languages. This was one among many of Tyndale’s accomplishments to first incorporate the English language in relation to the Bible. He also was the first to have an English translation take advantage of the printing press, first of the new English Bibles of the Reformation, and was the first English translation that used Jehovah ("Iehouah") in replacement of God’s name which was as preferred by English Protestant Reformers. Fun fact, he never actually published a complete Bible. His beliefs and actions of converting God’s name was taken as a challenge to the hegemony of the Catholic Church, as well as the laws of England. He wrote many more conflicting ideals towards the Church in England as well as the Catholic Church, that would land in the hands of King Henry VIII. He fled England, but eventually was arrested in 1535 leading to his execution after being convicted of heresy. Tyndale had only finished translating the entire New Testament and roughly half of the Old Testament prior to his execution.
COMMENT ABOVE AN ACCIDENT I ACCIDENTLY REPOSTED MY COMMENT FROM LAST WEEK I COPIED THE WRONG TEXT BOX! THIS IS THE CORRECT COMMENT.
I find William Blake’s poems and how he transcribes them and adds photos super interesting. He not only writes beautiful things, but he creates these images that add another element to the story. William Blake was a painter and a printmaker so he combined his talents. His paintings are a whole other entity of the poem to dissect and analyze. For example, Blake’s “The Chimney Sweeper” follows a child’s journey as he is exploited by the child labor system in England. The characters, at first, mourn the loss of their childhood and yearn to experience bliss, begging God for salvation. The painting around the poem is one of a sad-looking boy lugging something on his back. He looks up at the rain that is pouring on him. I think he is looking up at the sky praying for a better life, but rain is just coming down on him. The design is so gray, dark, and sad-looking. The design really evokes emotion and explains the vibe of the poem more.
The evolution of typography is very interesting to me because of some similarities and details that have stayed true to this day and because of the differences that show hundreds of years of evolution of design, technology and needs for typography. Typography used for letters, scripture, music, art, academics all have different styles and I was very interested in this because I found that the fonts used in the ages we have studied, the letters are much more thin and dramatic. I love the gothic style because it really puts you in a certain place in time, reading something hundreds of years old in a style that we no longer see all that often . The gothic style has an emotion provoking effect that is not as common in todays aesthetics.
Sydney Goltzman
I originally wanted to write about the Vitruvian man. Being an art history we talk about the Vitruvian man over and over again but surprisingly calligraphy and typography is catching my eye more and more. The advent of transitional typography, as exemplified by John Baskerville's pioneering work in the mid-18th century, stands as a testament to the continuous evolution of design. Baskerville's mix of traditional and neoclassical elements during this pivotal era in typography signifies a harmonious convergence of longstanding conventions and innovation. His ingenuity in utilizing calendered paper and refining printing methods not only transformed the replication of characters but also facilitated the preservation of subtler shapes and finer strokes. The vertical stress in strokes and emphasized weight contrast characterizing transitional typography serves as a visual bridge between historical design paradigms. Exploring the intricate details of Baskerville's work, such as nuanced serifs and oblique head serifs, adds a layer of appreciation for the meticulous craftsmanship behind transitional typography. It underscores the notion that, even in the 18th century, designers pushed boundaries and played a pivotal role in shaping
Diego Chang
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