English Calligraphy

English calligraphy, sometimes called western calligraphy, includes all the styles of calligraphy that were founded in Europe. English calligraphy was developed over thousands of years and includes many different styles.

Calligraphy has been around ever since man has had the desire for communication. From neolithic cave paintings and pictographs to medieval scrolls to contemporary work, calligraphy has evolved over thousands of years. English calligraphy developed from the Latin and, to a lesser degree, Greek and Cyrillic writing systems.

There are two main stages in the development of writing systems. The first is the development of pictorial symbols into a standard alphabet form. Once that is achieved, the second stage concerns the way the alphabets are written in different areas. During the Roman empire, the Romans spread their standard alphabet throughout the empire. As a result, handwriting in Western Europe has changed little since the first century, AD.

Before the invention of the printing press by Johann Guttenberg in the 16^th century books were copied by hand using calligraphy. Either reed or quill pens were used to copy books and pamphlets. Throughout the years different styles of writing were popular for copying books or carving onto monuments and cathedrals. Descriptions of these styles and examples of their use are available at European Calligraphy, a Polish site with English available.

In writing, the development of letterforms usually followed the path of least resistance. If a writing style was too time consuming or hard to use it was usually set aside in favor of easier writing styles. Sometimes, complex and difficult calligraphy styles were still used in titles or for important words or pages.

An important development in the history of English calligraphy was the rise of Christianity in 313 AD. Missionaries spread the Roman alphabet across Europe and gave a boost to the development of writing through the prolific copying of the Bible and other religious texts.

The development of letterforms continued through the use of engraving and other technologies, and in the forms of typefaces used in printing, from the mid-fifteenth century up to the present. An in-depth history of letterform development can be found at the House of Calligraphy. This site offers detailed histories of the various writing systems as well as examples of most.

Today English calligraphy is experiencing a resurgence as an art form. Check out your local museums to see if any calligraphy related exhibits are available. Also look in your local library or on the internet for additional information on English calligraphy.