Pacioli’s Classic Roman Alphabet

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LUCA DE PACIOLI

history of its revival by the scholars and archaeologists of his own period. He only hints that the ancient habit of affixing metal-cut letters upon columns, etc., had brought to light the fact that always two lines, one curved and the other straight, "suffice for all things which have to be made in their [i.e. the letter-makers'] art." But he does not tell us, for example, whether scholars deduced the mathematical basis of classical letter from the form of the letters themselves or from the circular or other guiding indications and marks on the stones -a point to which we shall return shortly. This is the more unfortunate as nothing explicit has descended to us-either by Vitruvius' hand, or any otherenabling us to reconstruct with precision the methods which the old Romans employed in drawing and cutting their inscriptions. According to the most authoritative of modern students of epigraphy, Emil Hlibner, it is obvious that the more elegant inscriptions were drawn or painted with the aid ofrule and compass. It could hardly be otherwise, for the construction of letters according to definite proportions would necessarily follow the use made of geometry in the planning of buildings; and, although to draw a fine letter by freehand is easy if the scale is small, the making, so as to look agreeable at a distance, ofa word whose letters are more than a foot high is no easy matter even with instruments. The bigger the scale, the more necessary become the geometrical aids. Hence the rules for letter-making which the ancient builders used were not developed by, or even taught to, or published, in the interests ofcalligraphers, but concerned exclusively architects, painters and carvers. Hence the several mentions of such a matter in Luca de Pacioli's De DivinaProportione are perfectly appropriate, since his book is addressed to stone-cutters and builders. And, ofcourse, as he is only concerned to indicate the method from his own point of view, he rightly abstains from providing any historical data of no strict relevance. We must rather con-

DURER'S DETAIL

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heavier limb of the letter, make this of the width of onetenth part of the square ...." Although Durer elected to use the tenth part he in no way condemns those who followed the

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7· Hartmann Schedel, Munich 14.82

9· G. B. Verini, Florence 1526

e

8. A. Durer, Niirnberg 1525

10.

Geofroy Tory, Paris 1529

earlier rule, although he must have been aware ofPacioli'spublication. Unlike Tory, Durer's mind was free from theoretical prejudices and he could look tolerantly upon the use of the ninth, tenth or twelfth measures. Durer however makes less constant use than Moille or Pacioli of the compass, as may be seen from his method of making the roman A in figure 8. That

This letter is taken from the circle and square. The right limb must be one-ninth part as thick as the height. The left limb is to be half as thick as the thick one. The middle [cross-] limb is to be one-third of the thickness of the thick limb. Of the said letter, the middle limb-the breadth of the letter [between] each limblies a little lower than the junction [of the diagonalsJ as you see by the diameters indicated.