Geoffroy Tory was a publisher, printer, author, orthographic reformer, and prolific engraver who was mainly responsible for the French Renaissance style of book decoration and who played a leading part in popularizing in France the Roman letter as against the prevailing Gothic.
Tory put forward the idea of accents, the apostrophe, the cedilla, and simple punctuation marks in the French language.
He was appointed imprimeur du roi ("printer to the king") by Francis I in about 1530. For those of you proficient in French, check this website with Tory's works and fascinating biography. (Above, Tory's Hours of Our Excellent Virgin Mary, 1541).
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| "O" and "K" as bodily movement (did he know about Leonardo's man?) |
Why does "Roman" come back with Tory's Roman?
A mix of self-advertising through excellent design, french pride & state (the king himself) sponsorship.
Look at his lettres fantastiques: all taken from the tools of labor in the country.
