An Aesthetic Delight

A line of text is like a silhouette on the horizon.
Closer inspection reveals the detail, the trees, bushes, rocks; details that, though only vaguely perceivable from afar, create both rhythm and variation. The beauty of this landscape is born of both regularity and variety.
By Ludwig Übele

The Jewish sopherim, or scribes, carefully and laboriously copied Scripture. They took their task quite seriously—so intently that any error invalidated the entire manuscript.

Monks or clergymen at their desks in monastery scriptoriums copied Scripture. An individual monk might need ten months to complete the task.

I imagine that when the creators of illuminated manuscripts picked up their quills, or later, iron pens and dipped into the black ink they, too, thought, of the beauty of the line and the sanctity of the words.

I love books that take care to meld the type of font with what is being written. It’s an aesthetic pleasure.