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Definition: calligraphy from The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers

‘Beautiful writing’, derived from the Greek words kalli and graphos. The craft of calligraphy requires an understanding of formal penmanship and a respect for traditional materials and tools. The classic text on Western calligraphy is Edward johnston's Writing & Illuminating & Lettering (1906). A new generation of practitioners in Europe and the US is now challenging the emphasis on medieval standards and exploring new forms of expression. Great 20th-c. calligraphers, in addition to Johnston, include Rudolf koch, Imre reiner, William Addison dwiggins, Berthold wolpe, and Herman zapf.


calligraphy

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(kӘlĭg'rӘfē) [Gr.,=beautiful writing], skilled penmanship practiced as a fine art. See also inscription ; paleography . In Europe two sorts of handwriting came into being very early. Cursive script was used for letters and records, while far more polished writing styles, called uncials, were used for literary works. Both styles can be seen in papyrus fragments from the 4th cent. B.C. After the 1st cent. A.D. the development of the half uncial or minuscule letter from the Roman capital gave rise to an extraordinarily beautiful and long-lasting calligraphy. As tools and materials of high quality came into use, masterpieces of calligraphic art were produced, e.g., the Irish Book of Kells (8th cent.; Trinity College, Dublin; see under Ceanannus Mór ) and the English Lindisfarne Gospels (8th cent.; British Mus.; see Holy Island ). Carolingian minuscule script and its splendid and complex derivative, known as Gothic, were the principal calligraphic styles from the 9th to the 14th cent. The…
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Woman with a Calligraphy Brush, by Utagawa Toyokuni, woodcut, 1769-1825, Japanese Civilization
Credit: Woman with a Calligraphy Brush, by Utagawa Toyokuni, woodcut, 1769-1825, Japanese Civilization / De Agostini Picture Library / G. Dagli Orti / The Bridgeman Art Library Description: Woman with a calligraphy brush, by Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825), woodcut, Japan. Japanese Civilisation, 19th…
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Full text Article calligraphy

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(kӘlĭg'rӘfē) [Gr.,=beautiful writing], skilled penmanship practiced as a fine art. See also inscription ; paleography . In Europe two sorts of handwriting came into being very early. Cursive script was used for letters and records, while far more polished writing styles, called uncials, were used…
| 651 words
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Full text Article Calligraphy

From Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World
©WERNERFORMAN/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/GETTY...
Muslims have always deemed calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, the noblest of the arts. The first chapters of the Qurʾan revealed to the prophet Muhammad in the early seventh century CE (suras 96 and 68) mention the pen and writing. Writing in Arabic script soon became a hallmark of Islamic…
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Full text Article calligraphy

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Art of handwriting, regarded in China and Japan as the greatest of the visual arts, and playing a large part in Islamic art because the depiction of the human and animal form is forbidden. Chinese calligraphy The first Chinese writing appeared in about 1300 BC . Unlike the alphabets and words of…
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Full text Article calligraphy in Islam

From Encyclopedia of World Religions: Encyclopedia of Islam
The term calligraphy comes from Greek kalligraphia , meaning beautiful writing, or the visual elaboration of written scripts known in Arabic as khatt (line). Within the field of Islamic art, calligraphy refers to stylized scripts in languages that use (or used) the Arabic alphabet, among them…
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Full text Article calligraphy

From The Macquarie Dictionary
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From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
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From Collins English Dictionary
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From The American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language
calligraphy Alamy AL Photo: Image Source Black
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Full text Article calligraphy

From The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers
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