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El Greco

Rachel Ross

El Greco was a typeface designed by the Richard Gans Foundry operating from 1888-1975. The font was named after Greek painter, sculptor, and architect, El Greco (Dominikos Theotokopoulos, 1541-1614). El Greco immigrated to Toledo, Spain in 1577. He is one of the most well-known artists of the Spanish Renaissance due to his fantastic use of color and distorted compositions. When looking at El Greco’s paintings next to the typeface, they pair well together. Both display skill in their craft as well as embracing imperfection and slight distortion.

While developing the revival, I couldn’t help but think that it also embodies the spirit of a Hobbit. It’s short, friendly, and has wide feet, or in this case, serifs. As Tolkein describes, “They dress in bright colours, favouring yellow and green. They are usually shy but are nevertheless capable of great courage and amazing feats under the proper circumstances.”

Rachel Ross is a book designer from Baltimore, Maryland currently living in Portugal getting her master’s degree in graphic design and trying to learn Portuguese. She values craftsmanship, accessibility, and mixing analog practices with the digital space. Currently, she is experimenting and researching the relationship between typography and ceramics. Outside of work, Rachel plays beach volleyball, and enjoys gardening.

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