Calligraphy Art

As one of the few fine arts that often produces a functional product, calligraphy has decreased considerably in the modern age. Computer technology and the ability to use a wide array of different fonts has largely turned calligraphy into a dying art. The main concept of calligraphy is to give a pleasing form to symbols that have meaning, most commonly using text and standard letters written in a way that has a striking aesthetic appearance. While calligraphy was used in older times as a way of adding a specific feeling to a printed document, the printing press changed the process into one that was frequently done by machines rather than by hand.

The biggest period of hand calligraphy was during the Roman Empire and the Carolingian Dynasty Empire. During both of these times, a specific script was developed by different regions and helped to identify the source of many documents. The Carolingian Dynasty is famous as being responsible for the creation of the Gothic script, which is still commonly used in font form and was the influential source for many different scripts throughout Europe. It is this style of calligraphy that served as the base for the original Gutenberg printing press, thereby making it the first official typeface in the world.

Calligraphy has evolved into a specialized art in modern society. Because most people can utilize computers to fulfill most of their calligraphy needs, there are very few people that are skilled in producing a variety of scripts by hand. However, the specialists that still exist work as high end creators of wedding invitations and other written works. In Asia, the culture of calligraphy still has a relatively large presence, with Chinese and Japanese calligraphy artists still being quite numerous. One reason for this is the brushlike texture of their written languages, which lends itself easily to artistic interpretation.