A Typographical Masterpiece. An Account by John Dreyfus of Eric Gill’s collaboration with Robert Gibbings in producing the Golden Cockerel Press edition of The Four Gospels in 1931

1991

Special Collections Z232 G63 DS19 1991

London: Bain & Williams

Robert Gibbings once said of the process in creating the images and text in The Four Gospels (1931): ‘We had no rules for the putting together of these varied sizes of capitals. We allowed the type almost complete control, improvising the tune according to the notes suggested. It came about therefore, that almost every blank space left for the artist was different and that is one reason, I believe, for the liveliness which runs through the book . . .’. Here is The Nativity image and text from The Four Gospels, considered a typographical masterpiece of the 20th century.