Chapter 8: Rococo Graphic Design 18 th century

Transcription

1 Chapter 8: Rococo Graphic Design 18 th century

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5 Romain du Roi (French for King s Roman) The first printing of the Romain du Roi at the beginning of the eighteenth century signified a shift to transitional roman type design with increased contrast between thick and thin strokes, sharp horizontal serifs, and a more even balance to each letterform.

6 Romain du Roi Compared to earlier roman fonts, the crisp geometric quality and increased contrast of this first transitional typeface are clearly evident.

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8 Pierre Simon Fournier Presented transitional roman forms based on the Romain du Roi letters from 1702 Title page for his first specimen book, Models of Printing Characters, 1742.

9 Pierre Simon Fournier Vast numbers of floral, curvilinear, and geometric ornaments were needed to construct designs like this, which set the standard of excellence of the rococo period.

10 Pierre Simon Fournier le Jeune The standardization of type measurement The initiation of type families (one face containing various weights and widths, as well as complementary roman and italic versions) The creation of single-, double-, and triple-ruled lines up to 35.5 cm (about 14 inches)

11 In addition to showing the design accomplishments of a lifetime, Fournier s type manual is a masterwork of rococo design.

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13 Englishman John Pine Illustration and text were handengraved upon a copper printing plate and printed in one pass through the press. Horace s Opera (Works), Volume II, 1737

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15 John Baskerville Baskerville reduced the design to letterforms symmetrically arranged and letterspaced; he reduced content to author, title, publisher, date, and city of publication. Economy, simplicity, and elegance resulted.

16 John Baskerville Portrait of John Baskerville, by John Millar, circa Starts a printing business at age 44 Hires John Handy as his punch cutter Precise, painstaking work New type found is designed and supervised by Baskerville Sets out to print a new edition of Virgil

17 John Baskerville, Printer Important innovations: Changes in press construction Flatter Studier bed Brass platen Print Ink Blacker More even Quicker drying Ink is aged three years before use

18 John Baskerville, Printer Important innovations: Paper Wove, not laid Smoother Whiter Gloss varnish Hot Pressing Wet sheets pressed between copper plates Smoothes the paper Sets the ink

19 John Baskerville The stately order of Baskerville s page design results from the harmony of elements and the spatial intervals that separate them. Title page from John Milton s Paradise Lost, 1760.

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22 William Caslon William Caslon is regarded as the grand-father of the typographic revolution taking place in the 18th century.

23 The Industrial Revolution Innovations in Typography William Caslon is regarded as the grand-father of the typographic revolution taking place in the 18 th century.

24 William Caslon William Caslon and William Caslon II, title page from A Specimen of Printing Types, His heirs, along with two of his former apprentices, Joseph Jackson and Thomas Cotterell, became successful type designers and founders in their own right. This book was published two years before the death of William Caslon. Leadership of the company would soon pass to his son, William Caslon II.

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26 English Typography of the mid 1700 s Caslon Old face Calligraphic influence Baskerville Greater contrast between thick and think strokes Pointed serifs Letter wider than other type faces Transitional typeface

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29 Benjamin Franklin Cato Major is one of the first classics of Latin literature to be translated and printed in the American colonies. Franklin was an avid admirer of Caslon s fonts and used them extensively.

30 Giambattista Bodoni Reflect the contemporary late eighteen-century neoclassical style. Giambattista Bodoni s modern type designs, based on geometry and standardization of measurable units, included extreme contrasts between thin and thick lines.

31 Giambattista Bodoni, page from Manuale tipografico, 1818.

32 Pierre Didot The typeface used in this book is an early presentation of a true modern-style letterform. Straight hairline serifs, extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes, and construction on a vertical axis are characteristics that mark this break with transitional letterforms. Title page for Vergil s Bucolica, Georgica, et Aeneis, 1798

33 Pierre Didot This double-page spread shows the splendid perfection, lavish margins, and cool understatement of neoclassical graphic design.

34 Old Style Developed by Renaissance designers who refined archaic letterforms. Characterized by: Roman proportion Contrasting stroke weight which references right-hand drawn letters Oblique axis in curved forms Relatively short x-height

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37 Transitional Evolved out of the old style faces. Changes in structure include: Stroke contrast that is less derivative of the pen or brush Contrast becomes rhythmic and distinct Greater x-height Move toward upright axis Greater serif definition

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47 Modern Typeface Strong contrast between thick and thin strokes. Vertical axis. Mechanical appearance constructed rather than drawn. Fine, unbracketed, serifs.

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49 Romanticism William Blake s illustrations for his poetry are in the style known as, which contrasted with the styles of layout and typography of Giambattista Bodoni and Pierre Didot. William Blake, title page from The Book of Thel, 1789.