NSCRIPTION IN MARBLE.]

[Illustration: 24. ITALIAN RENAISSANCE MEDAL. PISANO.]

[Illustration: 25. MODERN FRENCH MEDAL. O ROTY.]

The panel from Raphael's tomb in the Pantheon, Rome, 30, shows a beautiful
and pure form of typical Renaissance letter; and the composition of the
panel is as well worthy [28] of careful study as are the letter forms.
Figure 34, devised from a tomb in Santa Croce, portrays a letter not only
beautiful in itself, but one which, with two minor changes (for the top bar
of the T might advantageously be shortened to allow its neighbors to set
closer, and the M might be finished at the top with a serif, after the
usual fashion), is exactly applicable to the purposes of the modern
draughtsman. This type of letter appears to best advantage when used in
such panel forms as those shown in the rubbing from the Marsuppini tomb,
31, and in the floor slab from the same church, 32. Two very refined
examples, 28 and 29, also from slabs in Santa Croce, Florence, date from
about the same period. The latter exhibits the alphabet itself, and the
former shows a similar letter form as actually used. The letters in 33,
redrawn from rubbings from the Marsuppini tomb, are shown for comparison
with the rubbing itself, which is reproduced in smaller size in 31. Taken
together, plates 30, 31 and 32 will fairly represent not only the usual
fashion of composing Renaissance panels, but capital forms which illustrate
some of the most excellent work of this period.

[30]

A very different and interesting type of letter was used on many of the
best medals of the Italian Renaissance (see 24), which has been recently
adapted and employed by modern medal designers in France, as exhibited in
figure 25. Although absolutely plain, it is, when properly composed, much
more effective in the service for which it was intended than a more
elaborate and fussy form; and although sometimes adapted with good results
to other uses, it is particularly appropriate for casting in metal. Similar
forms rendered in pen and ink are shown in 26.

[Illustration: 26. CAPITALS ADAPTED FROM RENAISSANCE MEDALS. F. C. B.]

[Illustration: 27. SPANISH RENAISSANCE ALPHABET. JUAN De YCIAR, 1550]

[Illustration: 28. RENAISSANCE INLAID MEDALLION. FROM A RUBBING. F. C. B.]

[Illustration: 29. ITALIAN RENAISSANCE CAPITALS. SANTA CROCE. F. C. B.]

Figures 27, and 35 to 41 show various pen or printed forms of capital
letters redrawn from the handiwork of Ren