The world is on fire in more ways than one so let’s escape into some #BreakfastPaleography. Today’s topic, the ultimate personality quiz: Romanesque or Gothic? (first posted in The Other Place on 18 March 2020) - ThreadSky

lisafdavis.bsky.social • 32 days ago

The world is on fire in more ways than one so let’s escape into some #BreakfastPaleography. Today’s topic, the ultimate personality quiz: Romanesque or Gothic? (first posted in The Other Place on 18 March 2020)

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lisafdavis.bsky.social•32 days ago

As Caroline script continues to evolve through the 10th…11th…12th centuries, it begins to take on some angular features. Minims (the building blocks of letters like those in the word “minim”!) grow little finials at the bottom, or feet. Ascenders might be forked.

lisafdavis.bsky.social•32 days ago

It’s not really Caroline anymore, but it isn’t yet Gothic. Some call this pre- or -proto-Gothic. I like the term Romanesque, since it corresponds with similar developments in architecture. The difference between Romanesque and Gothic architecture is pretty obvious (round vs. angular):

lisafdavis.bsky.social•32 days ago

The difference between Romanesque and Gothic script is pretty obvious too. But there are in fact particular features to look for. The Romanesque textblock is loose and jagged. Initials have no clear boundaries in their appointed space. The top text-line sits on top of the uppermost writing line.

lisafdavis.bsky.social•32 days ago

Like Gothic architecture, Gothic script is more angular and formal than Romanesque. Starting ca. 1225, the text sits below, instead of above, the top line of writing. Initials and textblock are tightly bounded. Lots of visual constraint.

lisafdavis.bsky.social•32 days ago

In Northern European Gothic, there very few round strokes (Italian Gothic is a different animal for another day). The letter [o] (e.g.) is a hexagon of six short, straight strokes. But one of the most important benchmarks for Gothic script is how the scribe handles consecutive “bowed” letters...

lisafdavis.bsky.social•32 days ago

In full-fledge formal Gothic, back-to-back bows share a stroke in the middle, turning them into conjoined twins. These features are called “kissing” or “biting” bows. Erik Kwakkel has written about the development of biting bows in detail here, with lots of examples: https://medievalbooks.nl/2016/04/29/the-secrets-of-medieval-fonts/

jamesbond001.bsky.social•31 days ago

Thank you for your post!

lochinvar.bsky.social•32 days ago

📌

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