GILL, Eric

ERIC GILL
British 1882-1940
Born in Brighton, Sussex, Eric Gill was the son of a Congregationalist minister, later becoming a well known Sculptor and engraver.He became articled to W.H. Caroe, architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in London, in 1900. Whilst in London he attended evening classes at The Central School of Arts and Crafts and studied letter design under Edward Johnston, he also began carving in stone. By 1904 Gill was making a living from letter engraving and in 1910, he began making figure sculpture and held his first solo exhibition at the Chenil gallery, London 1911. Gill lived in Ditchling, Sussex 1907-24 and around him sprung up a community of artists. Gill’s Roman Catholic views were influential upon the community and in 1917 a religious order of artists was conceived, and in 1921 members of the community formed the Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic (which exists today). Among the artists surrounding him at Ditchling were David Jones, Philip Hagreen, Douglas Peppler, and Edward Johnston. In 1924 he moved to Capel-y-ffin, near Hay-on Wye and over the next four years produced much of his best engraved work. In 1928 Gill's large family moved to High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
Gill is regarded as one of the greatest craftsmen of this century, a typographer and lettercutter and a wood engraver. His conversion to Catholicism influenced his sculpture and writings. Gill’s subject matter swung between the deeply religious and the highly erotic, a direct echo of his eccentric life. His prints first appeared invariably in tiny editions or as illustrations in limited edition books, such as those he illustrated for the Golden Cockerel Press under Robert Gibbings. He also wrote constantly on his favourite topics, social reform, the integration of the body and spirit, the evils of industrialisation and the importance of the working man. These were published by the Ditchling Press and Faber & Faber. He designed his first typeface Perpetua, for Stanley Morison who had badgered him for years on this matter. Of all the 11 typefaces that he designed, Gill Sans is his most famous.

'A Ship'. A Bookplate for Rothenstein'	‘Man Shooting Arrow, bird with Parson’s hat’	‘Venus’
‘The Bee Sting.’	‘Safety First’	The Kiss
'The Voice of My Beloved.'	‘The Crucifixion.’	‘The Deposition.’