Prologue to Graphic Design

The Prologue to
Graphic Design
Graphic Design History

Ancient
Period
3500 BCE – 500 CE

Ancient
Near
East
(Mesopotamia)
and
Ancient
Egypt

Archaic
tablet
fragment
Ancient
Near
East,
Sumerian
Clay,
3000
BCE

Archaic
tablet
fragment
Ancient
Near
East,
Sumerian
Clay,
3000
BCE
• Earliest
written
records
are
tablets

that
apparently
list
commodities
with

pictographic
drawings
of
objects
accompanied
with
numerals
and

personal
names.

• An
abundance
of
clay
in
Sumer
made

it
the
logical
material
for
record

keeping.

• The
clay
mud
tablet
was
held
in
the

left
hand
and
inscribed
with
a
wooden

stylus.
• Information
is
structured
in
a
grid
with

vertical
and
horizontal
orientation.
• The
inscribed
tablet
was
then
dried
in

the
hot
sun
or
baked
in
a
kiln.

Illustration
of
the
evolution

of
writing
by
the
Sumerians

Illustration
of
the
evolution

of
writing
by
the
Sumerians

• This
clay
tablet
demonstrates
how
the

Sumerian
symbols
evolved
from

pictographs
to
into
Cuneiform
writing
• The
Sumerian
symbols
for
star
(which

also
meant
heaven
or
god),
head,
and

water
(3100
BCE).
The
symbols
for

head
and
water
were
turned
on
their

side
around
2800
BCE
and
then

evolved
into
Cuneiform
writing
by

2500
BCE.
• Cuneiform
writing
is
composed
of
a

series
of
wedge-‐shaped
strokes

rather
than
a
continuous
line

drawing.
This
innovation
radically

altered
the
nature
of
the
writing:

pictographs
evolved
into
abstract

symbols
called
cuneiform
(from
the

Latin
for
“wedge-‐shaped”)

The
Blau monument
Early
Sumerian
Carved
Shale
3000
BCE

The
Blau monument
Early
Sumerian
Carved
Shale
3000
BCE
• The
Blau monument
may
be
the

oldest
remaining
artifact
combining

words
and
pictures
on
the
same

surface
• Mesopotamians
created
libraries

that
contained
thousands
of
tablets

about
religion,
mathematics,
history,

law,
medicine,
and
astronomy,
as

well
as
literature
• Writing
also
fostered
a
sense
of

history;
tablets
chronicled
events

that
occurred
during
the
reign
of

each
monarch
• The
iconography
on
the
monument
is

a
matter
of
dispute,
but
most

historians
agree
that
it
represents
a

transaction
of
sorts

Stamp
– Cylinder
Seal
(The
Tyszykiewicz Seal)
Hittite,
1650
– 1200
BCE

Stamp
– Cylinder
Seal
(The
Tyszykiewicz Seal)
Hittite,
1650
– 1200
BCE
• Mesopotamian
cylinder
seals
provided
a

forgery-‐proof
method
for
sealing

documents
and
proving
their
authenticity
• The
cylinder
seal
can
be
seen
as
a

precursor
to
printing.
• In
use
for
over
300
years,
these
small

cylinders
had
images
and
writing
etched

into
their
surfaces. This
one
contains
both

a
stamp
on
the
bottom
and
images
on
the

sides
for
rolling
• Rolled
across
a
damp
clay
tablet,
a
raised

impression
became
a
“trademark”
for
the

owner
• Combining
decorative
ornamentation
with

figurative
images,
this
most
likely
portrays

a
ritual

Detail
from
the
Papyrus
of
Hunefer
Ancient
Egypt,
1370
BCE

Detail
from
the
Papyrus
of

Hunefer, Ancient
Egypt,
1370

BCE
• The
ancient Egyptians
created
the
first

paper-‐like
surface
made
out
of
papyrus,
a

fibrous
plant
that
grows
out
of
water
4.5

meters
tall
• The
Egyptians
created
illuminated

manuscripts
in
which
words
and
pictures

were
combined
to
communicate

information
• A
strong
belief
in
the
afterlife
compelled

the
Egyptians
to
evolve
a
complex

mythology
about
the
journey
into
the

afterlife
• The
Papyrus
of
Hunefer is
a
“Book
of
the

Dead”
containing
magical
spells
that
could

enable
the
deceased
to
turn
into
a

powerful
creature,
as
well
as
passwords
to

enter
various
states
of
the
underworld

Egyptian
Hieroglyphs
illustrating
the
rebus
principle

Egyptian
Hieroglyphs
illustrating

the
rebus
principle
• In
this
illustration,
words
and

syllables
are
represented
by
pictures

of
objects
and
by
symbols
whose

names
are
similar
to
the
word
or

syllable
to
be
communicated.
• These
hieroglyphics
mean
bee,
leaf,

sea,
and
sun.
As
rebuses
(using
the

English
language),
they
could
mean

belief
and
season.

Scarab
of
Ikhnaton
and
Nefertiti
Etched
steatite
stone,
1370
BCE

Scarab
of
Ikhnaton

and
Nefertiti
Etched
steatite
stone

1370
BCE
• The
Egyptians
used
proprietary
marks
on

such
items
as
pottery
very
early
in
their

history.
They
inherited
forms
of

identification
(including
cylinder
seals)
from

the
Sumerians
• The
scarab
beetle
considered
sacred
or

magical
since
prehistoric
times.
• In
the
Twelfth
Dynasty,
carved
scarab

emblems
were
commonly
used
as

identification
seals.
The
bottom
was

inscribed
with
hieroglyphics.

• The
scarabs
were
talismans,
ornaments,
and

a
symbol
of
resurrection.
An
amulet
called
a

heart-‐scarab
was
placed
over
the
heart
of
a

mummy
in
its
tomb.

Trajan’s
Column
Ancient
Roman
Monument
Roman
Forum
107
– 113
CE
Inscription
on
Trajan’s
Column

This
example
of
capitalis monumenetalis
(monumental
capitals)
goes
testimony
to

the
ancient
Roman
dictim “the
written

word
remains”
The
simple
geometric
lines
were
drawn
in

thick
and
thin
strokes
,
with
organically

unified
straight
and
curved
lines
Each
letterform
was
designed
to
become

one
form
rather
than
merely
the
sum
of

its
parts
Careful
attention
was
given
to
the
shapes

of
spaces
inside
and
between
the
letters
A
Roman
inscription
became
a
sequence

of
linear
geometric
forms
adapted
from

the
square,
triangle,
and
circle.

Inscription
on
Trajan’s
Column

Oracle
bone
Chinese
1300
BCE

Oracle
bone
Chinese
1300
BCE
• The
earliest
known
Chinese
writing
is

called
chiaku-‐wen,
or
“bone-‐and-‐shell”

script
used
from
1800
to
1200
BCE.
• The
writing
was
closely
bound
to

divination,
an
effort
to
foretell
future

events
through
communication
with
the

gods
or
long-‐dead
ancestors.
• This
ancient
writing
was
pictographic.

• Oracles
bones
convey
communication

between
the
living
and
the
dead.
The

bones
are
either
tortoise
shells
or
large

animals’
flat
shoulder
bones.

• 128
characters
inscribed
on
this
bone

include
predictions
of
catastrophes

during
the
next
ten-‐day
period

Li-‐Shu tablet

of
the
Hua Shan
Pagoda
Han
Dynasty,
China
165
CE

Li-‐Shu tablet

of
the
Hua Shan
Pagoda
Han
Dynasty,
China
165
CE
• Li-‐shu (or
clerical
style)
had
a
major

impact
on
Chinese
calligraphy
and

was
more
abstract
than
the
earlier

pictographs
• This
writing
style
reached
its
peak

during
the
Han
Dynasty.
Throughout

the
four
centuries
of
Han
rule,
the

vast
majority
of
tablets
were
written

in
Li-‐shu
• Li-‐shu is
carefully
and
neatly

executed,
and
delicate
with
many

variations

Rubbing
from
stone
tablet
Chen-‐shu writing
Tang
dynasty
(618–907
CE)

Rubbing
from
stone
tablet
Dayan
Pagoda,
X’ian,
China
Chen-‐shu writing
Tang
dynasty
(618–907
CE)
• The
final
step
in
the
evolution
of
Chinese

calligraphy
is
chen-‐shu (or
regular
style)

which
has
been
in
continuous
use
for

nearly
two
thousand
years
• In
regular
style,
every
line,
dot,
and

nuance
of
the
brush
can
be
controlled
by

the
sensitivity
and
skill
of
the
calligrapher
• An
infinite
range
of
design
possibilities

exists
within
every
word
• Regular-‐style
calligraphy
has
an
abstract

beauty
that
rivals
humanity’s
highest

attainments
in
art
and
design.
It
is

considered
to
highest
art
form
in
China,

more
important
even
than
painting.

Li
Fangying,
from
Album
of
Eight
Leaves,
ink
on
paper,
Qing
dynasty,
1744

Li
Fangying,

from
Album
of
Eight
Leaves
ink
on
paper,

Qing
dynasty,
1744
• Dynastic
records
attribute
the

invention
of
paper
to
the
high

government
official
Ts’ai Lun,
who

reported
his
invention
to
Emperor
Ho

in
105
CE
• Calligraphy
and
painting,
poem
and

illustration,
are
joined
into
a
unified

communication
• Nature
is
the
inspiration
for
both
the

poem
and
the
illustration,
every
stroke

is
given
the
energy
of
a
living
thing
• Spiritual
states
and
deep
feelings
can

be
expressed
in
calligraphy

Chinese
chop
• During
the
Han
Dynasty
(3rd
Century
CE)
seals
called
chops

were
made
by
carving
calligraphic

characters
into
a
flat
surface
of

jade,
silver,
gold,
or
ivory
• The
user
inked
the
flat
surface
by

pushing
it
into
a
paste-‐like
red
ink

made
from
cinnabar,
and
then

pressed
in
onto
a
surface
to
form

an
impression
• Around
500
CE
people
began

using
a
different
kind
of
chop.

The
artisans
cut
away
the

negative
area
surrounding
the

characters
so
that
the
characters

could
be
printed
in
red

surrounded
by
white
paper

The
Diamond
Sutra,
Hand
scroll,
868
CE

The
Diamond
Sutra
Printed
scroll,
868
CE

• The
oldest
surviving
printed
manuscript
is

The
Diamond
Sutra.
• It
consists
of
7
sheets
of
paper
pasted

together
to
form
a
scroll
5
meters
long
and

30
cm
high
• The
text
conveys
the
Buddha’s
revelations

to
his
elderly
follower,
along
with
a

complex
woodcut
illustration
of
the

Buddha
and
his
disciples
• The
final
lines
of
text
declare
that

Diamond
Sutra
will
be
distributed
for
free
• The
excellence
of
the
printing
indicates

that
the
craft
had
advanced
to
a
high
level

by
the
time
it
was
produced

Chinese
playing
cards
• These
“sheet
dice”
were
first

printed
on
heavy
paper
cards

about
the
time
paged
books

were
replacing
manuscript
scrolls
• Many
of
the
design
conventions

used
here
– numerical
sequences

of
images
signifying
the
suits
and

the
depiction
of
royalty
– survive

in
playing
cards
to
this
day

Chinese
movable
types,
1300
CE

Chinese
movable
types,
1300
CE
• Around
1045
CE
the
Chinese
alchemist

Pi
Sheng
developed
the
concept
of

movable
type,
an
innovative
process

never
used
widely
in
Asia
• Each
character
was
an
individual
raised

form
and
any
number
of
characters

could
be
placed
in
sequence
on
a

surface,
inked,
and
printed
• Pi
Sheng
made
his
types
from
a

mixture
of
clay
and
glue,
but
they

were
later
cast
in
tin
and
cut
from

wood
• One
invention
that
tried
to
simplify

sorting
and
setting
types
was
a

revolving
table
with
a
spinning

tabletop
(see
illustration)

Image
of
a
revolving
typecase,
1313
CE

Ormesby Psalter,
Late
Gothic
Manuscript,
early
1300s
(Medieval)

Ormesby Psalter,
Late
Gothic

Manuscript,
early
1300s
(Medieval)
• Liturgical
books
of
the
late

Medieval
era
contained

extraordinary
designs.
• The
Ormesby Psalter
was
created

in
England
and
is
in
the
late
Gothic

style

• The
large
text
is
written
in
the

textura /
black
letter
writing
style

(a
calligraphic
script
with
letters

composed
of
separate
strokes)

• intricate
frames
and
gold
leaf

backgrounds
with
decorative

capital
initials
and
illustrations

depicting
Biblical
scenes
• Figures
and
animals
with

elongated
proportions

Detail
from
the
Ormesby Psalter

Page
from
the
Mainz
Haggadah
Judaic
Manuscript
1726
CE

Page
from
the
Mainz
Haggadah
Judaic
Manuscript
1726
CE
• Surviving
Judaic
illuminated
manuscripts

produced
across
Europe
during
the

medieval
era
are
treasure
masterworks

of
graphic
design
• A
Haggadah contains
Jewish
religious

literature,
including
historical
stories
and

proverbs
• This
manuscript
is
a
copy
by
Moses
ben

Nathan
Oppenheim
in
1726
(copied
from

an
earlier
Medieval
Judaic
manuscript)
• The
image
depicts
Mount
Sinai,
and

Pharoah and
his
army
drowning
in
the

Red
Sea.
• The
layout
implies
the
melodic
rhythm

of
a
joyful
Passover
song
through

spacing
and
symbols

Islamic
Manuscript
18th Century

Islamic
Manuscript
18th Century
/
1700s
CE
• Intricate
geometric
and
arabesque

designs
fill
the
space
to
express
the

sacred
nature
of
the
Qur’an,
the
holy

book
of
Muslims
• Figurative
illustrations
were
not
utilized

because
Islamic
society
embraced
the

principle
of
aniconism,
which
is
religious

opposition
to
representations
of
living

creatures
based
on
the
belief
that
only

God
could
create
life
• Islamic
illuminated
manuscripts
were

produced
in
great
numbers
from
the
13th
through
the
19th centuries.
Muhammad

had
called
upon
his
followers
to
read
and

write,
and
as
a
result,
a
love
of
books

permeates
Islamic
cultures.

The
Limbourg brothers
January
page
1413
– 1416
CE
(Early

Renaissance)

The
Limbourg brothers
(Dutch)
January
page
1413
– 1416
CE
(Early
Renaissance)
• The
Limbourg brothers
(Paul,
Herman,

and
Jean)
created
an
illustrated
calendar

entitled
Les
tres riches
heures du
duc de

Berry
• Each
month
includes
an
illustration

relating
to
seasonal
activities
crowned

with
an
astronomical
charts
depicting

constellations
and
phases
of
the
moon
• Les
tres riches
heures is
a
pictorial
book.

Some
pages
have
a
mere
four
lines
of
text

lettered
in
two
columns
under
the

illustrations.
• The
Limbourg brothers
were
sons
of
a

Dutch
wood
sculptor.
They
did
not
live
to

complete
this
masterpiece,
for
all
three

died
before
February
1416
from
a
terrible

epidemic
or
plague

Prologue to Graphic Design

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