Histoire de la calligraphie française, Claude Mediavilla (book)

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Histoire de la calligraphie française / History of French Calligraphy (book) by Claude Mediavilla. 336 pages, Publisher Albin Michel. 2006. Very good condition, slight wear from use. Dimensions: 10.3 x 13.18 x 1.57 inches. French text.

The result of passionate research, this work constitutes the first synthesis on the history of French calligraphy. From the Roman capital to the English, via the uncial, the Caroline or the Gothic, we discover the metamorphoses of Latin writing throughout the history of France. For each writing, the author sets the context of its appearance and describes its genesis, establishes its morphological characteristics and offers study plates made specifically for this book. We will also find, at the end of certain chapters, the biographies of some sixty great masters, living stories that highlight not only their contribution to the art of calligraphy, but also entire sections of the history of our culture.

The whole is illustrated by more than three hundred exceptional documents, often unpublished, which come from the greatest libraries in the world. Both erudite and practical, rich in precise indications on the art and practice of calligraphy, containing a prodigious paleographic treasure, this unique sum combines the sumptuousness of the art book with the technicality of the reference work.

Claude Mediavilla, paleographer, researcher in art history and internationally renowned calligrapher, was a professor at the Ecole des arts décoratifs in Paris, lecturer at the universities of Hamburg and Busan in South Korea. A specialist in ancient and modern techniques, Claude Mediavilla is passionate about questions concerning the production of manuscripts and the rediscovery of authentic illumination techniques. Among the many works he has published, we can mention among others Calligraphie, published by Editions de l’Imprimerie nationale in 1993, which has now become a classic.

Feel free to check out the additional photos at the top left, thank you!

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