This information concerns the original French edition. In this highly detailed researched volume, readers will find the first attempt to present a comprehensive overview of the History of French Calligraphy. From the Roman capital to Copperplate script, passing through Onciales, the Carolingian minuscule or Blackletter, we discover the metamorphoses that the latin letterforms adopted throughout the history of France. For each script, the author provides the context that lead to its appearance and describes its beginnings, establishes the principal letter forms and has also lettered samples exclusively for this book.

You will also find, closing certain chapters, the biographies of sixty master calligraphers. This makes for lively reading that show, not only what they brought to the art of calligraphy, but also uncovers vast panoramas of French history. The book contains more than 300 marvellous illustrations, often previously unpublished, coming from the world’s best-known Libraries. This is rich and learned book, but still a rich source for detailed references on the art of calligraphy and paleography. In that, it is that unique creation, a most beautiful art book, but one that remains highly practical.