The Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ

1931

Private Collection

Waltham St Lawrence, Berkshire: The Golden Cockerel Press

The Four Gospels (1929-31) was the perfect result of the collaboration between Eric Gill and Robert Gibbings, owner of The Golden Cockerel Press (GCP). It is rightly called the typographical masterpiece of the 20th century (John Dreyfus); ‘a flower among the best products of English romantic genius’ (GCP Catalogue). The text was printed using 18 point Golden Cockerel type, designed by Gill, who was at the time more of an engraver on wood and a sculptor. Between October and December 1929, the type was cut under supervision of J. Collinge, chief punch-cutter at the Caslon foundry. Only 500 copies were printed: 12 on vellum; the remainder on Batchelor hand-made paper. Importantly, Gill’s ‘heavy, closely massing type’ matched the weight and ‘heaviness’ of the 65 wood-engraved illustrations. This copy was once in the collection of Evan Gill, Eric Gill’s brother.