In The Story of Art he reminds us of Baroque’s context in culture and society. Gombrich is much more open-minded and nuanced in his understanding of the era. Perhaps this is what Enschedé sensed, and why they hired Rosart to cut large sizes. Ironically, at larger sizes the scallops become obvious and awkward. Under magnification they’re obvious, but at normal viewing distance they remain subtle and add to the distinct atmosphere. Regardless, they harmonise beautifully with other details in a body of text. I assume some of these were executed in parallel - the cross-pollination of details may have been irresistible. He cut many styles during his career, including roman and blackletter fonts. I’m tempted to speculate they were influenced by his blackletter fonts, resonant with florid details. The remaining capitals are perfectly serviceable, and the C S G terminals are harmonious but not exactly the same. I wonder where, exactly, the scallop comes from. But they’re certainly rare, the scalloped form hasn’t travelled through the subsequent centuries. I hesitate to say unprecedented - my knowledge isn’t that deep. Taut linework and generous curves tie it all together for some of the best text types ever designed.įleischmann’s standout feature are scalloped serifs on E F L T Z. Large ball terminals harmonise with bold punctuation, the hint of a lachrymal terminal in the bowl of p, ⁹ the bowls of b d which are smaller than the x-height, ¹⁰ the happy little y and full-tailed t. There’s a cheekiness to them, a sly wink manifested in small details. Fleischmann’s types feel very deliberate and focussed. It’s easy to understand their economy through the lens of goût Hollandois, but that’s a dry, technical observation. They feel refined and “baroque”, for want of a better expression. Over the years I’ve read that Fleischmann’s fonts “sparkle” on the page, or they’re “blobby” and “organic”. ⁷ Fleischmann didn’t start the trend, he was “only continuing the fashion of the school in which he was trained”. Their thrifty construction meant more words per line, saving money on the printing press. They have a large x-height with short ascenders and descenders. This means letterforms that are darker and narrower compared to preceeding types like Garamond. This typeface exemplifies formal construction qualities now known as goût Hollandois, the “Dutch taste”. Their firm was now the most important, not only in Haarlem, but in the country.” ⁴ In 1759 Rosart quit Amsterdam, sold his remaining stock and moved to Brussels.įleischmann made the first typeface specifically marketed for newspapers, the Bourgeois Roman Nº 76, cut in 1745. He even sold punches to another foundry - the equivalent of “giving up all rights and depriving oneself of all possible profits from a typeface.” ³ In 1752 he sold his foundry, by 1756 “Enschedé swore only by Fleischmann. “That meant installing in Haarlem itself the most formidable competition for Rosart - that of Fleischmann, who had cut the best of the Wetstein material, and who for a further twenty-five years was to be the chief collaborator of the house of Enschedé.” ² Business got worse for Rosart: his request to set up a printing office was rejected by the local Guild, Enschedé’s success overshadowed his, he couldn’t pay his mortgage, he cast seals to repay loans. He too struggled for a few years, but his luck soured considerably when Enschedé bought the Wetstein foundry and shipped their stock - and Fleischmann - to Haarlem. Three years previously, Rosart settled in Haarlem and set up as a type founder.
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