Eric Gill (Artiste)

An Essay on Typography

Eric Gill

Born in 1882, Gill was an artist, letter carver, gadfly, polemicist, and social reformer. In 1925, he had started drawing alphabets and printing books, and in 1931, this plainspoken little book was a fustian and forceful argu- ment for common sense in design, composed for anyone remotely interested in the subtle and evolving challenge of the typographic arts. Set rag right, with tight word spacing, it is a model of composition. The text, like most of Gill's, is exasperating, exorbitant, and exciting. But Gill was, above all, a craftsman, whose work always reflected his philoso- phy and whose hand always followed his moral convictions.

Alla Dumnych

Arguing that 'a good piece of lettering is as beautiful a thing to see as any sculpture or painted picture', Eric Gill's opinionated manifesto on typography's place in culture is also a moral treatise celebrating the role of craftsmanship in an industrial age. Gill, a sculptor, engraver, printmaker and creator of many classic typefaces that can be seen around us today, fused art, history and polemic in this visionary work which has been hugely influential on modern graphic design. How do we see the world around us? This is one of a number of pivotal works by creative thinkers whose writings on art, design and the media have changed our vision for ever. 'His lettering was clear, confident and hugely influential on the development of modern type design. The world has now caught up with Gill.' Guardian

An Essay on Typography

Reviews

Highlights