Letters and Lettering Part 6

[Ill.u.s.tration: 155. UNCIAL GOTHIC INITIALS. 13TH CENTURY. F. C. B.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 156. UNCIAL GOTHIC CAPITALS. 14TH CENTURY. F. C. B.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 157. UNCIAL GOTHIC CAPITALS. 14TH CENTURY. F. C. B.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 158. ITALIAN UNCIAL GOTHIC CAPITALS. 14TH CENTURY. F. C. B.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 159. SPANISH UNCIAL GOTHIC CAPITALS. JUAN DE YCIAR, 1550]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 160. VENETIAN WALL PANEL, 15TH CENTURY. FROM RUBBING]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 161. VENETIAN GOTHIC CAPITALS. 15TH CENTURY. F.C.B.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 162. GERMAN UNCIAL CAPITALS, FROM A BRa.s.s. 14TH CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 163. FRENCH AND SPANISH UNCIAL CAPITALS. 14TH CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 164. ITALIAN GOTHIC INITIALS. G. A. TAGLIENTE, 16TH CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 165. ITALIAN GOTHIC INITIALS. G. A. TAGLIENTE, 16TH CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 166. ITALIAN GOTHIC INITIALS. GIOV. PALATINO, 16TH CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 167. GERMAN GOTHIC INITIALS. P. FRANK, 1601]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 168. GERMAN GOTHIC INITIALS. P. FRANK, 1601]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 169. GERMAN GOTHIC INITIALS. P. FRANK, 1601]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 170. ITALIAN GOTHIC CAPITALS. 16TH CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 171. ENGLISH GOTHIC CAPITALS. 16TH CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 172. ITALIAN GOTHIC CAPITALS. 17th CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 173. GERMAN GOTHIC CAPITALS. 17th CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 174. GERMAN GOTHIC CAPITALS. FROM Ma.n.u.sCRIPTS]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 175. GERMAN GOTHIC CAPITALS. FROM Ma.n.u.sCRIPTS]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 176. GERMAN GOTHIC CAPITALS. FROM Ma.n.u.sCRIPTS]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 177. ENGLISH GOTHIC TEXT LETTERS. FROM Ma.n.u.sCRIPTS]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 178. ENGLISH GOTHIC LETTERS. 15th CENTURY. F. C. B.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 179. ENGLISH GOTHIC LETTERS. 15th CENTURY. F. C. B.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 180. GERMAN BLACKLETTERS FROM A BRa.s.s. F. C. B.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 181. GERMAN BLACKLETTERS. 16th CENTURY. F. C. B.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 182. ITALIAN BLACKLETTERS. G. A. TAGLIENTE, 16th CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 183. GERMAN BLACKLETTERS. ALBRECHT DuRER, 16th CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 184. GERMAN BLACKLETTERS. ALBRECHT DuRER, 16th CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 185. GERMAN GOTHIC CAPITALS. ALBRECHT DuRER, 16th CENTURY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 186. ENGLISH GOTHIC BLACKLETTERS. 15th CENTURY. F. C. B.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 187. ITALIAN INLAID BLACKLETTERS. FROM A RUBBING. F. C. B.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 188. MODERN AMERICAN BLACKLETTERS. B. G. GOODHUE]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 189. MODERN AMERICAN BLACKLETTERS. B. G. GOODHUE]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 190. MODERN GERMAN BLACKLETTERS. AFTER JULIUS DIEZ]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 191. MODERN GERMAN BLACKLETTERS, FLOURISHED. F. C. B.]

[182]

CHAPTER IV

ITALIC AND SCRIPT

The regrettable modern neglect of those free and very interesting forms of the Roman letter, Italic and Script, seem to authorize consideration of them in a separate chapter, even at the risk of appearing to give them undue importance.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 192. GERMAN ITALIC. GOTTLIEB MUNCH, 1744]

The first Italic type letter was derived, it is said, from the handwriting of Petrarch, and several admirable examples of the style, variously treated, have come down to us. As far as construction goes Italic is, theoretically, only the exact Roman form sloped, and with such changes as are necessitated by the sloping of the letters. Practically, however, it will be found that certain alterations in the outlines of the Roman letters must be made after giving them a slope in order to adapt them to their new requirements of inter-juxtaposition; and, by a reflex action, when words in Italic capitals are used in the same panel with upright Roman letters, certain variations must be made in the latter, such as accenting the Roman O in the same fas.h.i.+on as the Italic _O_ is accented, an altered treatment of serifs, and other changes in detail.

The Script form of letter was developed out of the running or writing hand, and still retains a cursive tendency in the linking together of its letters; although in some forms it so closely approximates to Italic as to be almost [183] indistinguishable from it. Script lettering came into its greatest vogue during the Georgian period in England and at the same time in France; and was extensively employed, usually in conjunction with the upright Roman, in carved panels of stone or wood, and in engraving. The Script forms are well worthy of the attention of modern designers since they offer unusual opportunities for freedom and individuality of treatment; and because of this vitality and adaptility to modern uses the present chapter will be devoted largely to the ill.u.s.tration of Script examples.

The old Spanish and Italian writing-books (referred to in a previous chapter), which in a measure took the place filled so much less artistically to-day by our modern school copybooks, contain many specimens of beautiful Script, both capitals and small letters. Figures 193 to 196 show pages from such books published in Spain.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 193. SPANISH SCRIPT. TORQUATO TORIO, 1802]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 194. SPANISH SCRIPTS. TORQUATO TORIO, 1802]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 195. SPANISH SCRIPT. FRANCISCO LUCAS, 1577]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 196. SPANISH CURSIVE. FRANCISCO LUCAS, 1577]