Eric Gill, A.R.A.

Acquired directly from the Artist circa 1939 and thence gifted to the previous owner as a graduation present in 1958
Sale, Sotheby's London, 10th December 2008, lot 27, where acquired by the present owner

David Pearce, Eric Gill: The Inscriptions, The Herbert Press, London, 1994, p.163, cat. no.711.

Stable and secure, there are some very minor, isolated slight chips to the extreme front edge of the work, including but not limited to the top left extreme edge; the lower centre; and top right corner. The front bottom right corner is chipped and rounded. There are further nicks and nips to the extreme back edge, not visible when the work is hanging, and most probably in line with a previous method of hanging the work. There is further very minor scratching to the top left quadrant, with very minor flecks of surface matter, and a further fleck of surface matter appearing just below the capital 'M'. This excepting the work appears to be in excellent original condition, with minor visible imperfections to the stone. Accompanied by a hanging bracket designed to fit the work. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

From his earliest career, Gill’s interest in typography was notable, and the carving of lettering, which Gill himself saw as very much part of the artist-artisan heritage of the stone-carver, the designing of typefaces became an established and integral part of his artistic activity throughout his life.  A basic tenet of typography is that of readability, and as Fiona MacCarthy writes of his works of the 1930s, they resonate with a richness of ‘simplicity, clarity [and] directness’ (Fiona MacCarthy, Eric Gill, Faber and Faber, London, 1989, p.245) that is abundant in the present work.

One of around only ten alphabets that Gill produced towards the end of his life, the current work is closely based on his Perpetua typeface, designed in 1928-9, and demonstrates wonderfully Gill’s adept combination of legibility, functionality and aesthetics during this period.  Carved in a large block of creamy-grey hopton-wood stone a decade after his move to Pigotts in the heart of the Chilterns, Gill makes use of the crisp, sharp lines, heightened with delicate touches of colour that offer both a contrast to the image and a reference to the medieval masonry that so inspired him.