Late 16Th Century Chancery Cursive?

[HDoug]

The Penmanship forum has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of FPN's growth. I marvel at the examples of italic, copperplate, Spencerian, and the more esoteric forms like late Gothic German cursive, etc.

 

Many here practice the Chancery Cursive of Arrighi's Operina, and other exemplars from the early 16th century. I've recently come across many examples of late 16th century and early 17th century cursive (of Galileo and his daughter for example) and wonder if we have any practitioners of such out there?

 

Here's an examplar by Ludovico Curione published in 1588:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5450/9369372200_086f8b2c8c_c.jpg

 

And an example of a letter from the Bishop of Cortone (in his scribe's hand) that appears similar:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3752/9369620324_0d2727bd98_c.jpg

 

Does anyone here practice such a hand?

 

Doug

[caliken]

This example from 1735 (The Universal Penman) looks very similar. The main differences are the loss of the clubbed ascenders and the increased slope. It was known as the "Italian Hand".

I remember writing out an example of this script some time ago, but I can't find it.

 

Ken

 

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd289/caliken_2007/ItalianHand600-1.jpg

[idazle]

 

I would like to contribute an exemplar from XVIth century Spanish master penman Francisco de Lucas and also a letter signed by King Philip II of Spain from about the same period.

 

Note how the handwriting at the end of the letter becomes almost a scrible. That could indicate that either the King relaxed himself as in a hurry or that the letter was written by a scribe and the King added a note by his own hand and, of course, his own signature "Yo, el Rey" (I, the King).

 

 

 

[Nanny]

Yes, calligraphers use the chancery cursive as their exemplars. I use the modified italic in my personal handwriting, and for my handwriting instruction.

 

Your first example from Ludovico Curione looks close to Ludovicio Arrighi's work. Go back a few years to late 15th century; to my eye the italic that was outside that which was written for Papal edicts and other formal writing has a simpler look that was practical for everyday handwriting, and applicable for today's need for legibility at speed. In my opinion the writing of the late 16th century is beginning to be too fussy, much like the fashion of that time.

 

Below is a sample of my everyday handwriting and the exemplar that I use for instruction. You may want to see www.bfhhandwriting.com

 

 

 

[Columba Livia]

Martin Billingsley was a 17th century English writing master who published The Pens Excellencie or the Secretaries Delighte (available here: http://www.english.cam.ac.uk/ceres/ehoc/billingsley/simple.html). His early 17th century Italian hand, is an interesting consideration, since we have both engraved copies of his writing and letters written by a pupil of his: Charles Ist.

 

Here is an engraved copy of Martin Billingsley's Italian hand (note how it's almost monoline):

 

http://i.imgur.com/qzbQJ3n.jpg

 

And here is a note (written years after Billingsley was dead) , by Charles 1st:

 

http://i.imgur.com/xxbQuli.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/i8vNcyW.jpg

^

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/books-manuscripts/charles-i-king-of-england-scotland-5625854-details.aspx

 

As you can see, the Italian hand made good practical and handwriting. Long after both these men are dead, the writing of master and pupil stands testament to that.

 

Here is a picture of Martin Billingsley

 

http://i.imgur.com/9ZPsQPd.jpg

Edited July 26, 2013 by Columba Livia

[idazle]

The handwriting of King Charles I looks more like modern cursive than Chancery italic!

[idazle]

It's a shame this thread has not had attracted more contributions :-(

[dms525]

My own italic hand was learned from Lloyd Reynolds. I am not sure, but I think his model was likely Alfred Fairbank. I am not aware of Reynolds or any of his students adopting hands directly modeled after any of the Renaissance writing masters.

 

The examples in the OP are very interesting to me, as I am currently studying the historical evolution of italic handwriting. The following impressions are based on my recent readings. My knowledge certainly is still far from complete.

 

The clubbed serif, seen in Curione's hand, seems to have become more common between Palatino's first book (1540) and Cresci's, 20 years later. I am most struck by the open p. The letter p is generally not joined to the following letter among current italic calligraphers. The p to r join is interesting, but I see the p is left open even when it is not joined. This joined r is much closer to the modern cursive r than to the 15th or early 16th century italic minuscule r.

 

The point (no pun intended) regarding late 16th centrury chancery cursive appearing more mono-line I think is the result of the trend during that century toward narrower nibs. The italic revival's prescription of a 5 pen-width x-height is a return to earlier models.

 

David

[Columba Livia]

This is the Chancery hand, as from a 1703 re-print of a 1671 book ("England's Pen-Man" by Edw. Cocker) :

 

http://i.imgur.com/EPGJa3V.jpg

Edited August 20, 2013 by Columba Livia

[Columba Livia]

Cocker calls this an Italian hand (he also describes the Chancery hand as being an Italian hand) and says that the Italian hand depends on an oval for its form. He says that the Chancery is more formal, but this style less so. If you look carefully at the clubs, you can see how they're made with a loop e.g holy on the third line with the o running into l.

 

http://i.imgur.com/NqQkcYA.jpg

Edited August 20, 2013 by Columba Livia

[dms525]

Do you know what kind of pen was used by Billingsly? To me, it looks like his pen was round-pointed and flexible rather than the chisel point used in the 15th and early 16th centuries. Yet, the "elcurio" larger letters starting the first paragraph do look like they were made with a chisel point. Do you think different pens were used for different effects in that era?

 

David

[Columba Livia]

Do you know what kind of pen was used by Billingsly? To me, it looks like his pen was round-pointed and flexible rather than the chisel point used in the 15th and early 16th centuries. Yet, the "elcurio" larger letters starting the first paragraph do look like they were made with a chisel point. Do you think different pens were used for different effects in that era?

 

David

 

To clarify, the last two plates I posted (Velcurio) were done by Edward Cocker, not Martin Billingsley. Both Edward Cocker and Martin Billingsley would have used different hardnesses of pen and different nib widths and cuts for different hands. They both were familiar with broad edges (chisel points) for sure.

 

Billingsley, in his directions for making a pen simply tells you to nib a quill ("cut the nibbe cleane away, on both sides alike", so that would have produced a broad edge/chisel point) and make it as hard or soft and as big or small as you need:

 

http://www.english.cam.ac.uk/ceres/ehoc/images/billingsley/bb43.JPG

 

Edward Cocker gives instructions, in England's Pen-Man, on cutting a pen for the Italian hands: a very fine broad edged (chisel pointed) and somewhat flexible pen. The nearest equivalent in modern dip pens would be a Wm. Mitchell Roundhand 5 or 6:

.

This Hand requires ſo excellent a Pen, and ſo curious a carriage of the Hand in Writing, as this. Let your Pen have a long Nib, drawn moſt accurately down to an exquiſte Point, and that moſt clearly cut, according to Rule, and evenly and exactly divided by a slit clear and long. A Pen for this Hand eſpecially, must not be hard and ſtiff, but yielding and compliant. Scrape the Nib round on the Back to make the Corners thereof more curiously exact and ſharp. You may Hold the pen in Witing of this hand, according to former Directions. But Italians hold the pen betwixt the fore-Finger and Thumb, both riſing a little in their Joints, drawing all the other three Fingers one over another into the Hand, and resting on the little Finger. This is an Incomparable way for freeneſs and dexterity, and I have as incomparable Writing produced by this way. But I ſhall without impoſing either leave every Practioner to his free choice.

 

Elsewhere in England's Pen-Man, Edward Cocker suggests what we would now call left and right oblique broad edges/chisel points for different styles of writing, as well as two different cuts for flourishing in both the English and French mode.

 

If someone today wanted to practice these sorts of hands, I think that the best thing to look at is a very free-flowing ink (e.g Chinese stick ink ground such as to produce that) and Wm. Mitchell pens (the left oblique is not just for left handers!). Also, the Italian way of holding the pen that Edward Cocker mentions is obviously v. important to try.

Edited August 21, 2013 by Columba Livia

[Mickey]

While not having contributed anything to this thread, I have followed it and others which discussed small, flexible oblique pens. Consequently, I'm now the owner of a flexible L-OF fountain pen courtesy Nakaya and John Mottishaw. It's an amazingly versatile little nib (I'm still learning how to handle it) capable of a small scale formal italic, cursive italic, and, with a bit of nib twisting (to use the corners) a very lightly shaded hand inspired by (but not identical to) Spencerian. Miracles of miracle, I can turn it over and write small uncials without breaking a sweat. The flexible edged pen is a marvelous tool.

[Belles-lettres]

The handwriting of King Charles I looks more like modern cursive than Chancery italic!

Astoundingly so!

[lpanades]

This example from 1735 (The Universal Penman) looks very similar. The main differences are the loss of the clubbed ascenders and the increased slope. It was known as the "Italian Hand".

I remember writing out an example of this script some time ago, but I can't find it.

 

Ken

 

(figure)

Italian Hand is not the same style than Arrighi letters (Chancelleresca; Chancery).

They are both humanist hands but are not the same.

Englidh Round Hand is more familiar with Italian Hand than Chancelleresca.

 

Lloyd Reynolds studied the letters forms and execution and use, so his type of handwritting was ever a practical and real one. Not any variation but a natural method did by the scribes of each time. He did not copy something like but the thing exactly how it was, with the same form of doing. This is why Reynold knew the reason of each part of each letter and the movent in it's execution, so he knew the logic of each style along the time, specially italics ones. His kind of italic was, generally, a much more modern style cause morden methods of writting used stell italic nibs or reeds. If he used a quill he would execute something like Arrighi's style. So, the writting instrument is definitive for choosing the writting style.

[AAAndrew]

I'm curious to go back to the point about pointed vs. chiseled nib. The letter written by the scribe of the Bishop of Cortone in the first post looks very much like a pointed pen, while I believe Chancery Italic generally is done with a straight cut nib. Also the letter in post #12 looks also like it used a pointed pen.

 

I'm curious when scribes would choose to use (or was it a movement towards) pointed nibs vs cut nibs? Many of the medieval styles I'm familiar with use the cut nib. I guess I'm not familiar enough to know if there were also medieval script styles that used a pointed nib, or did it just start showing up with the advent of scribal scripts in the early Renaissance?