CalligraphyThe Ancient Art of Lettering

• Origins in Ancient Egypt (that got pictographs from Ancient Sumer)• Hieroglyphics (picture writing) carved into clay tablets, sculptures, and walls.• Calligraphy means ‘beautiful writing.”• This is the Book of the Dead, which was a religious book meant to help guide

people in passing into the Afterlife.

Origins of Calligraphy

CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY

•Calligraphy has traditionally been considered the highest art form.

•Origins back to 3000 BCE or earlier

•Calligraphers have different styles and spend years perfecting the techniques.

•Japanese calligraphy developed from Chinese calligraphy, and continues today.

•Calligraphers have different styles, ranging from very simply to highly artistic.

The Quingbian Mountains, Dong Qi Chang, painter, calligrapher, art scholar

of Ming Dynasty (1612 CE)

Knight Shining White, Tang Dynasty, (750 CE)

Scroll paintings were unrolled and “read”. Poems were sometimes included, and viewers wrote comments too.

15th Century qu’Ranic Manuscript

In many Islamic cultures, calligraphy is the highest art form.

It is used as surface decoration for both religious buildings and everyday art.

Below is the logo of today’s Al Jazeera TV.

Arabic Calligraphy

Detail of dome of Mosque of Kalon in Uzbekistan

• Few people could read and write in Medieval Europe.

• The church trained monks in Latin reading and writing.

• Artistic monks carefully created copies of the Bible with lavishly illuminated capitals.

• This page is from the Lindsfarne Gospels, from late 7th century CE. It was written and illustrated by the monk Eadfrithe, who later became Bishop of Lindisfarne in 698.

Medieval European Manuscripts

• Johanes Gutenberg invented this during the early Renaissance.

• It made it easier to make Bibles and other books in Europe.

?

Guess the invention….

http://malikanas.deviantart.com/

Contemporary artist Malikanas design from Islamic Art Magazine.

He uses digital art and ancient calligraphic styles to create lush images.

• Lots of fonts are available for Computers Today that mimic Traditional Calligraphy

• Where else do you commonly see hand or computer calligraphy?

• How is calligraphy used as art today?

• Inga Dubay, Calligrapher & Artist

Calligraphy Today

Magnum Mysterium #3, Inga Dubay