Art Funded by you

Omnia per ipsum

Eric Gill, 1913

Translating as 'Everything through him, nothing without him', this carved inscription was created by Eric Gill in the year of his conversion to Roman Catholicism. Quoting a passage from the Gospel of St John, Omnia Per Ipsum was created as a gift for Gill's father, Arthur. The inscription resonates with both the Christian beliefs that Gill and his father shared, and as a reflection on his father's importance to him. Gill's innovative approach to typography – particularly his reintroduction of Roman lettering – was tremendously influential, not only on his contemporaries in the Ditchling Guild but on typographical design as a whole. Omnia Per Ipsum shows an early stage in the development of Gill's work. The kerning, or spacing of letters, is inconsistent and uncomfortable – the unnecessarily close grouping of the N, I and A at the end of the first line suggests Gill hadn't yet developed a feel for the sense of space carried by letters.

More information

Title of artwork, date

Omnia per ipsum, 1913

Date supported

2014

Medium and material

Hoptonwood stone

Dimensions

19.5 x 25.5 x 7 cm

Grant

15000

Total cost

25000

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

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