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Art History Art
History Graphic Design in History

History is the one true interpretation of life based on facts and experiences expressed through art and literature of that time. Today we are able to reconstruct records from the past and have a more profound understanding of everyday life as it was. In the words of E.H.Gombrich (1909-2001):
 
Communication
 
There are many ways to communicate and at first people communicated by gestures, pointing, mimicking, imaging, then by writing and eventually by speech.
Visual language existed for 25,000-30,000 years and during Prehistoric period (a period that predates written records) people painted images on cave walls, pottery or engraved them on stones baring symbolic representation of that time.
 
Most of these images were simple drawings telling a story of human and animal's life at that time.
 
During Ancient times (times in Ancient Egypt & Near East) various writing methods were adapted which led to further progress within civilization.
 
Left: Petroglyphic Symbols
 
Writing
 
The oldest uniformed writing system being in existence for 5.000 years is Cunei form followed closely by other forms of writing, then language and eventually International Phonetic Alphabet [IPA].
 
Developments took place in all countries around the globe passing on various form of writing and communication through trade, commerce, pilgrimages and migration. Major developments in Western Europe in creating independent territorial and cultural states took place after collapse of the Western Roman Empire, which laid the foundations of their culture and tradition together with education and religion.
 
The Worlds earliest written document that survived through time is Egyptian 'The Book of Dead' of 1450 B.C and earliest printed book is 'Diamond Sutra' from China dating back to 868 A.D. The finest illuminated manuscripts were produced during the Christian era, when revival of The 7 liberal arts begin in education covering Grammar, Rhetoric, Dialectic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy and Music.
 
The Romans preserved some of the Greek culture and blended with their own to give us the classical ideal, being advanced in literacy, arts with distinctive style of building/architecture, painting, sculpture, crafts and literature written in their codex written in 1st century A.D. used alongside papyrus scroll.
 
During Middle Ages (5th - 15nth century and the end to the Roman Empire) monastery was the place of culture and education, producing and reproducing finest edition of classical Greek and Roman text for educational purpose including the Holy texts - 'Bible', written in the book-hand half uncial and uncial type on a wax tablet, papyrus roll, parchment in codex or illuminated manuscript where each of these slow production processes had a specific integrated role later in book production.
 
The 5th-8th centuries are sometimes referred to as Dark Ages where all commerce, educational and cultural activity were at standstill as it was period of straggle for power, territory and authority in Europe. The revival of order within society and between various tribes occupying Western Europe begun in 8th-9nth centuries together with delivery of the First calligraphic European Alphabet originated in Ireland known as Carolingian Minuscule. This was important development in the history of lettering and culture as the script was easy to write with and widely used by pilgrims and travellers who spread the news of revival through entire Europe where the script become basis for further development in type design.
 
During the High Middle Ages 10-12th century known as the Romanesque period during which towns, churches, roads and educational (university) institutions were build to begin education and intensive learning in the 'seven liberal arts' with adopted standards of writing from the scriptoriums in page layout, lettering and page decoration leading to transformation into Gothic period in art and architecture. Vigorous trade activity during the 12th-16nth centuries in Europe experienced one of the worst natural disasters of epidemic known as Black Death which influenced a transformation into modern age which started with the Italian Renaissance Humanistic movement.
 
Renaissance period begin in 14nth Century in Italy and continued for another 3 centuries marking this time as renewal of the classical period and embracing the study of Ancient History, classical cultures of the world in art, architecture, science and technology which was breaking up from the traditional Middle Ages and medieval scholars education within the church.
 
Technologies
 
Art of printing and Woodcut Book Illustrations arrived in Europe together with establishments of Paper Mills by the end of the 12th century in Spain, France and Italy, which had to meet the demand of written materials for the literate and educated middle class. Also in Italy a watermark technique was developed as a trademark for paper mills which later was used as symbols by individual craftsmen/artists in a form of mermaids, unicorns, animals, flowers or heraldic shields. Craftsmen doubled production of written works and groups were organized into creative trade guilds.
 
By definition Corporate Identity applies to the use of symbolic image for an organization and one of the earliest logo was used in England in a form of seal/stamp representing mutual social important event noted in Magna Carta - a charter granted by King John of England to the English Barons on June 15, 1215 also known as 'The Low to The Land'.

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Source: "Magna Carta," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2002; http://encarta.msn.co.uk © 1997-2002 Microsoft Corporation.[b]
 
By 13th Century cartography (map-making) and the study of maps had been used to outline territories during the wars and to allocate population migration. These were restricted to the aristocracy as the production cost was high.
 
Medieval Tarot cards in the game of tarot (also called tarok) were played in central Europe, the earliest, usually hand-painted and then printed by wood - block technique brought from China.
 
These cards were the earliest manifestation of printing at first being used for the game of 'Kings' and later to be played by peasants and craftsman.
Source: Media Encarta, search by article titled 'Tarot', Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2002; http://encarta.msn.co.uk © 1997-2002 Microsoft Corporation.[b]
 
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This site is created and maintained by mpgraphics based on research to assist students in education on history of gaphic design. First published on the 26th March 2001, with Yahoo - Geocities. Until January 2009 mpgraphics had approximately 46.097 visitors
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