Christopher Austin - calligrapher

Programme Outline

The programme is filmed in Christopher’s studio at his home in London. At the beginning, we see him applying gold leaf to an illuminated capital ‘A’. To this he adds colour, applying paint with a fine brush. He then places the sheet of paper on a calligraphy board and prepares a quill pen from a large feather. (Feathers would normally be from a turkey, goose or swan.) The nib is shaped with a sharp knife and split centrally. With black ink applied to the nib, Christopher then begins to write Latin text in large Gothic script following guidelines which have been drawn out in advance: ‘Anno Domini MCMXCIX hoc manu factum est’ – ‘Handmade in the year of our Lord 1999’. The programme captures beautifully the patient concentration required to become a specialist in calligraphy.