Jan van Krimpen (1892-1958)
Born in Gouda, van Krimpen was a calligrapher, book designer, and type designer. His typefaces are regarded as restrained, beautiful, and classical. His designs are very influential, though they are not widely used. His most famous typeface is Lutetia, which is based on his own handwriting.
Jan van Krimpen spent nearly all his working life at the great Haarlem printing house of Joh. Enschedé. He had been working as a designer of lettering on stamps when he was noticed by the head of Enschedé. Enschedé commissioned a new typeface from him in 1923 and thus Lutetia was born.
According to Beatrice Warde, van Krimpen was the most difficult designer the Monotype Printing Works had ever had the misfortune to deal with. In his work, as in his temperament, he inclined towards reticence and severity, with fastidious attention to detail.
"I do not think that it is possible to sit down and design a type to order."
[NOM]
Fonts designed by Jan van Krimpen
