ERIC GILL - The Letter Man

fig. 1
Portrait of Eric Gill

In this essay I will introduce you the greatest artist crafts man of 20^th century. Yes, in very truth there are a lot of things where Eric Gill (fig. 1) excelled. We can say about him that he was a sculptor, designer, calligrapher, stone-mason, engraver and architect. Even if it looks to be unbelievable, yes, believe it, he was a truly master of all this things. But most of people have him signed up in their minds as a significant sculptor and calligrapher. The reason of that is supposedly because of his most famous and magnificent art work in Westminster Cathedral, which brought fame to Eric Gill in world art history. About this most famous art work you can gain more information in paragraph three. Whereas I must not forget to mention paragraph one where you can learn something about Eric’s childhood art beginnings and his later study ambitions. After that follows his marriage and family members in paragraph two. In paragraph four there you can read about disclosing of shocking news about private life of Eric Gill and continue with his most known art pieces and typefaces collection documented with images. The last is conclusion where you can see my evaluation about this essay.

In full name, Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was born on 22^nd February 1882 in Brighton, Sussex into the lower middle class family. Eric's father was an assistant minister in a chapel and his mother was a professional singer. Eric was a second oldest child from thirteen children. Already as a child, he was fascinated with trains and he has been always drawing locomotives, tunnels and bridges. He was interested in function and purposes of engines, as he said latter in his interview:

‘‘You can not make a good drawing of anything unless you know how it works and what it is for’’ (http://www.myfonts.com/newsletters/cc/20090401.html)

In 1897, when he was 15 years old, he moved with his family to Chichester and because of Eric’s constant drawing, he began studies at Technical and Art College. In 1900 Eric moved to London where he took off his training as an architect under supervision of W. D. Caroe, who was an expert in ecclesiastical architecture. Unfortunately Eric was not very satisfied with his training, thus he decided to take evening classes in stone-cutting at Westminster Technical Institute and he also joined classes in calligraphy at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. During his calligraphy studies the Edward Johnston, who is known as a creator of the London Underground typeface, became a huge influence to Eric and they later became a good friends. After few month of masonry class he also began to learn cutting in stone and it did not take long before he got his first commission and gained the opportunity to do lettering for living. Gill left his architectural studies in 1903 and started to fully concentrate on becoming a calligrapher, monumental mason and letter-cutter.

fig. 2 Hair Combing (1922)

In 1904 he falls in love with Ethel Hester Moore and after while they got married. Three years latter in 1907 Gill moved to Ditchling in Sussex with his family. Eric had three daughters, Betty the oldest one, Petra and the youngest Joan. They have been brought up in a quite different way from others, taught by their parents and isolated from society. There is a series of Gill’s drawings of his daughter Petra, which he produced through her teenage life. She figurate in many erotic postures as for example: (fig. 2) Hair Combing, (fig. 3) The Plait, (fig. 4) Girl in Bath. These drawings of Petra were lately made as wood engravings and belonged into Gill’s most admired work for many years.

In 1911 Eric Gill had his sculptural exhibition in London and around 1913 he received a very lucrative commission in which he supposed to create the Stations of the Cross (fig. 5) at the Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral (fig. 6). He managed to complete this prestigious collection of fourteen Westminster Cathedral Stations between the years 1913 and 1918 and it is one of his most famous creations what he is celebrated for in these days.

fig. 5 Stations of the Cross

fig. 6 Interior of Westminster Cathedral

During my research about this artist I found out that there had been a lot of discussions about Gill’s sexual obsession. According to his strong faith in god and his devotion to Roman Catholicism his way of living was not really appropriate towards his believes. There is a biography from year 1989, where Fiona MacCarthy mentioned Eric’s relationships with his two sisters and also his two older daughters. There also had been found his detailed description of his sexual practicing with his home dog which he wrote in his diary as ‘‘continued experiment with dog’’.

When the shocking information about Gill’s sexual acts came to light, there had been a lot of thoughts about removing his art work from Westminster church, but it never happened.

fig. 7

Gingerbread Madonna and Child

(1919-1920)

One of Gill’s interesting works is also (fig. 7) Gingerbread Madonna and Child (1919-20) mostly for the reason that the inspiration of this creation is taken from drawing of his daughter Betty, only 14 years old at that time.

In between his other prestigious pieces of work belong (fig. 8) Prospero and Ariel which was created between the years (1932 – 1933), (fig. 9) Ariel between Wisdom and Gaiety (1931-1932), (fig. 10) Ariel piping to children and (fig. 11) Ariel hearing Celestial Music, all was created for BBC Broadcasting House, London.

fig. 8 Prospero and Ariel
(1932-1933)

fig. 9 Ariel between Wisdom and Gaiety (1931-1932)

fig. 10 Ariel piping to children

fig. 11 Ariel hearing Celestial Music

We can not forget to mention Eric Gill also as an excellent creator of different typefaces.

Some of Eric’s types from his collection include:

The most celebrated typeface and his lasting legacy Gill Sans (1927-1930) (fig. 12). Another his letter design including typefaces Perpetua (1926) (fig. 12), Joanna (which bears name of his youngest daughter) (fig. 12), Golden Cockerel Roman (1929) Solus ( 1929) and many more.

fig. 12 Gill Sans

In my conclusion I must say that it was the hardest essay part I had to write so far. Unfortunately I struggled with finding of relevant information about this artist from the beginning and to complete this essay was a lot more challenging for me than writing of previous essays. As another reason of having this difficulty I would assigned to my unfamiliarity in this art field. On the other hand after this unpleasantness I have to say that this essay was very beneficial to me as I had the opportunity to broaden up my knowledge especially in the art field of sculpture and calligraphy. And if I strictly concentrate only on Eric Gill’s art work and except for his scandal in private life I would say, what a wonderful artist he was.

Reference list:

Books:

Gill, E. (1931) An Essay on Typography. London: Sheed and Ward 31 Paternoster Row

Yorke, M. (1981) Eric Gill: Man of Flesh and Spirit. London: Constable and Company Limited

Websites:

Modern British Art – Eric Gill biography (2005) Eric Gill [Online]. Available at: http://www.modernbritishartists.co.uk/ericgill_biog.htm (Accessed: 14 May 2010)

MacCarthy, F. (2006) Fiona MacCarthy on Eric Gill´s life and art/Art and design/The Guardian, ‘Written in stone’ [Online]. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2006/jul/22/art.art

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Rogers, P. (2010) Stations of the Cross – Westminster Cathedral ‘Stations of the Cross’ [Online]. Available at: http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/tour_stations.php (Accessed: 14 May 2010)

The Eric Gill Society: Eric Gill (Arthur Eric Rowton Gill, 1882-1940) ‘Eric Gill (Arthur Eric Rowton Gill, 1882-1940)’ [Online]. Available at: http://www.ericgill.org.uk/work/eric-gill-arthur-eric-rowton-gill-18821940 (Accessed: 14 May 2010)

The Eric Gill Society: Eric Gill ‘Eric Gill Biography’ [Online]. Available at:

http://www.ericgill.org.uk/Gill/ (Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Garton&Co and Scolar Press (2003) Eric Gill Prints ‘Eric Gill’ [Online]. Available at: http://www.ericgill.com/view_article.php?article_id=33&sort_by= (Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Bear, H. J. (2010) Eric Gill – Profile of Eric Gill (1882-1940) ‘Eric Gill’ Available at: http://desktoppub.about.com/od/typedesigners/p/eric_gill.htm (Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Eric Gill at AllExperts ‘Eric Gill: Encyclopedia’ [Online]. Available at:

http://www.associatepublisher.com/e/e/er/eric_gill.htm (Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Bitstream, Inc. (2009) Myfonts: Creative characters interview with Eric Gill, April 1, 2009 ‘Creative Characters interview: Eric Gill’ [Online]. Available at: http://new.myfonts.com/newsletters/cc/20090401.html (Accessed: 20 May 2010)

Videos:

Illuminationstv (2008) The Art of Eric Gill. Available at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FimUEssNMC4

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Henritogo (2009) Eric Gill Art Collection. Available at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRPZlHYUP0w

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Images:

Fig. 1

Portrait of Eric Gill [Online]. Available at: http://www.nndb.com/people/945/000113606/eric-gill.jpg

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Fig. 2

Gill, E. (1922) Hair Combing, Portrait of Petra Gill [Online]. Available at:

http://www.larkhall.com/pp/P.208-HairCombing.jpg

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Fig. 3

Gill, E. (1922) The Plait [Online]. Available at:

http://www.artandperception.com/v01/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/the-plait2.jpg

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Fig. 4

Gill, E. (1929) Girl in Bath [Online]. Available at:

http://www.goldmarkart.com/images/art/23/23_1549_m.jpg

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Fig. 5

Gill, E. (1913-1918) Stations of the Cross [Online]. Available at:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NE-72ZXux-g/StnCbYzmqLI/AAAAAAAALUA/lKkb3BiAbA0/s400/Eric+Gill+-First+Station+of+the+Cross.jpg

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Fig. 6

Interior of Westminster Cathedral [Online]. Available at:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BkZr55cbUUefrNFH6Sr7kkJae-y86cLrDFSRXOv1Y1qzKn1kQ3bsn2FDVihjldtbNpYMrJuZeetCPjKtUnD6fA8AuFSM-yT2tLOIBA9XEZKJ8ThmJEAzdyURGmZa3JBSXAOWZ2GOxcM/s400/000.jpg (Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Fig. 7

Gill, E. (1919-1920) Gingerbread Madonna and Child [Online]. Available at: http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/assets/aa_image/320/7/8/b/4/78b40f6570e45145b5a6ff51f5b30b9fd5d52318.jpg

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Fig. 8

Gill, E. (1932-1933) Prospero and Ariel [Online]. Available at:

http://www.btinternet.com/~roger.beckwith/bh/bh32/images/ext_pa_06.jpg

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Fig. 9

Gill, E. (1931-1932) Ariel between Wisdom and Gaiety [Online]. Available at:

http://www.btinternet.com/~roger.beckwith/bh/bh32/images/ext_sculpture2.jpg

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Fig. 10

Gill, E. Ariel piping to children [Online]. Available at:

http://www.btinternet.com/~roger.beckwith/bh/bh32/images/ext_sculpture3.jpg

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Fig. 11

Gill, E. Ariel hearing Celestial Music [Online]. Available at:

http://www.btinternet.com/~roger.beckwith/bh/bh32/images/ext_sculpture1.jpg

(Accessed: 14 May 2010)

Fig. 12
Gill, E. (1927 - 11930) Gill Sans [Online]. Available at:
http://faculty.luther.edu/~martinka/art43/daily/5th/gil1.jpg
(Accessed: 15 May 2010)