161.—Venetian Gothic Capitals. 15th Century.details

Any of the minu­scule forms of Blackletter which have been illus­trated may be used with the Gothic capitals of figures 165 – 5, 166, 177, 179, 185, 188-9; or with such Un­cial capitals as are illustrated in 155 to 162; care being taken, of course, that these capitals are made to agree in style and weight with the small let­ters chosen. Al­though Uncial capitals are histor­ically more close­ly allied with the Round Gothic, we have abundant precedent for their use with the min­uscule Blackletter in many of the best medieval specimens.

When the Gothic Uncial capitals were cut in stone and marble there was naturally a corresponding change in char­acter, as is shown in the Italian examples illustrated in 160 and 161. These examples, which are reproduced from rubbings, exhibit the characteristic stone cut forms very clearly. (p. 139)