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
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.
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].
