Eric gill font

1. Biography of Eric Gill
2. Personal Life and Artistic Community
3. The Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic
4. Font Design
5. Later Works and Controversy
6. Personal Life Controversy

Biography of Eric Gill

Arthur Eric Rowton Gill, better known as Eric Gill, was born in 1882 in Brighton, Sussex, England. He grew up and studied in Chichester. In 1900, Gill moved to London to study architecture. During this time, he also learned stone carving at the Westminster Technical Institute and calligraphy at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. After three years, in 1903, Gill abandoned his architectural studies and began working as a calligrapher, engraver, and gravestone maker.

Personal Life and Artistic Community

In 1904, Gill married Ethel Hester Moore. They moved to the village of Ditchling in Sussex in 1907, where Gill's home, known as 'Sopers,' became a center for a community of artists organized by Gill. It was here that he started working on sculpture.

The Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic

In 1913, Gill met printer Stanley Morison. After the war, together with Hilary Pepler and Desmond Chute, Gill founded The Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic in Ditchling.

Font Design

In 1925, Gill moved to Capel-y-ffin in Wales, where he opened his own workshop. He focused on font design and in 1925 created the Perpetua font, followed by the Gill Sans font from 1927 to 1930, which brought him the most recognition. Gill took inspiration from the works of Edward Johnston, which were used in the London Underground, while designing his own font. He aimed to create a font that would meet the requirements of both body text and headings. The Gill Sans font was chosen for the corporate identity of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), with almost all company signage, informational boards, schedules, restaurant menus, and print advertisements using the font's capital letters.

Later Works and Controversy

The Joanna font, named after Gill's daughter Joanna, was developed in 1930-1931. Gill also had another daughter named Petra, and both his sons-in-law were his students and colleagues. Besides font design, Gill gained recognition as a talented sculptor. One of his notable works is the sculpture group 'Prospero and Ariel' at the BBC headquarters in London.

Eric Gill passed away on November 17, 1940, at Harefield Hospital in Uxbridge, Middlesex, and was buried at Speen churchyard in the Chilterns near Princes Risborough.

Personal Life Controversy

Although Gill was known for his deep religious beliefs and wrote essays on the connection between religion and art, revelations about his personal life shocked many. In Fiona MacCarthy's biography published in 1989, based on Gill's diaries, his sexual escapades were detailed, including incestuous relationships with his own children, incestuous relations with his sister, and even sexual acts with a dog. It is worth noting that his previous biographer, Robert Speaight, had omitted this part of the artist's life.

Additionally, it was revealed that despite his religious devotion and Christian humility, Gill was a skilled creator of erotic engravings. These works were so well-executed that they were able to withstand any criticism, being both beautiful and highly sexual, sometimes even humorous.

Despite his talent and contributions, Eric Gill's legacy became the subject of heated debates, and his work was subjected to attempts at reassessment.