Die Gotischen Schriftarten

Beskrivning

Klinckhardt, Leipzig. 1928. First edition. 46 pages + 64 plates. 4to (30 x 22 cm). Liinen-cloth. Text in German.

The present work aims to provide an overview of the development of Gothic scripts / fraktur / black letter in manuscripts and printed works. As far as the period of medieval manuscripts is concerned, only Gothic book scripts have been treated; in the age of the printed book, practical scripts are included in the paleographical presentation only to the extent that they are found in handwritten books in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. The author considered it more important to depict the gradual change in the appearance of Gothic script over the centuries as accurately and vividly as possible, and within those centuries, to demonstrate the fundamental differences in script development between northern and southern Europe. The fact that only the most essential Gothic scripts, and not countless variants, are presented is due to this principle of economy, but even more so to the special nature of this book of typefaces. The present selection of typefaces is dictated by the author’s desire to impress upon the beginner the most important types, for which specific names are given.