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): |
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'
Entire
history of artistic creations:
from the first stirrings in cave
and rock painting; the magical
art of the 'PRIMITIVE' tribes;
the old civilization of Egypt,
Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome
.,
which give birth to the glories
of English painting; the 'PERPETUAL
REVOLUTION' in the nineteenth
century
.. are experiments
of our own time
.' |
Source
Gombrich E.H. - Born in Vienna
in 1909, - source, The Story of
Art, (B) Books p. III |
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There
are many ways to communicate and at first
people communicated by gestures, pointing,
mimicking, imaging, then by writing and eventually
by speech. |
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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. |
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Most
of these images were simple drawings
telling a story of human and animal's
life at that time. |
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During
Ancient times
(times in Ancient Egypt &
Near East) various writing
methods were adapted which led to further
progress within civilization. |
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Left:
Petroglyphic Symbols |
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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]. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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] |
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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. |
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