Culture
Words by Michel Wlassikoff
Aldus Manutius’ 1501 “Martialis”
Aldus Manutius published one of his first italic works in 1501 with Martial, using type cut by Francesco Griffo; these italics, inspired by humanistic ‘Cancellaresca’ handwriting, were designed for small-format books to satisfy a growing European audience.
Aldus Manutius published one of his first italic works in 1501 with Martial, using type cut by Francesco Griffo; these italics, inspired by humanistic ‘Cancellaresca’ handwriting, were designed for small-format books to satisfy a growing European audience.
The Martial published by Aldus Manutius in Venice in 1501 was one of his first publications in italics. Their cutting, by Francesco Griffo (or John of Bologna), began around 1499, and italics appeared in the edition of Catherine of Siena’s letters, then were used for the first time as the main font in the Virgil printed in April 1501. Inspired by the “Cancellaresca” handwriting favored by Italian humanists, italics were a new typeface for small-format books that Aldus decided to popularize at the turn of the 16th century — their caster being significantly smaller than that of romans, without any loss of legibility. Aldus wanted a typeface that embodied the essence of humanistic writing to satisfy an ever-growing audience of representatives of the noblesse de robe throughout Europe. As the verses of the Virgil’s preface indicate: “Aldus, who gave cut letters to the Greeks, now gives them to the Latins, by the skilful hands of Francesco di Bologna.”
Document: École Estienne library
