Giambattista Bodoni

Giambattista Bodoni ( born February 16, 1740 in Saluzzo (Piedmont ); † November 29, 1813 in Parma ) was an Italian engraver ( engraver ), printer, typographer and publisher. He is considered the best book designer of classicism.

Bodoni began his career as a compositor in the Tipografia della Congregation of Propaganda Fide, the papal organization for the Evangelization of Peoples, in which he got the set of all texts in oriental languages ​​from 1758 to 1766. In 1782 he was appointed royal Spanish Kammertypografen, from 1786, he led the ducal printing to Parma. In addition, he established a private printing in 1791 for his own work. His numerous letters he himself cut the printing units "Homer", 1785, " Horace ," 1791, "Our Father in 155 languages ​​," in 1806, as well as many French editions of Italian and French classics are characterized by excellent printing and careful, particularly harmonious set.

Bodoni first worked with the writings of the Frenchman Pierre Simon Fournier. He later founded his own type foundry, from 1818 his wife, a few years after his death, the " manuals Tipografico ," a unique compilation of his rich oeuvre published. It contained 373 fonts, serif fonts in addition to Asian and Russian writings, as well as numbers, lines and notations. Bodoni was to produce in an effort the perfect book of its time, in competition with the Frenchman Firmin Didot. Bodoni Didot was indeed superior in form and craftsmanship, this was for a better proofreading what the French books again made for everyday use.

Bodoni has created a new font for almost every printed work from him. The numerous differing typefaces from the various font foundries / foundries are now often sold under the generic name " Bodoni ," or " Bodoni- Antiqua " as digital fonts.

1963 advised the city of Parma in his honor the Museo Bodoniano one that laid the foundation to the 1843 acquired by the Duchess of Parma discount Bodoni.

Writings

• Manuals Tipografico. [ Parma 1818 ]