Künstler Grotesk is one of a number of typeface designs that attempts to reconcile Germany’s blackletter tradition with the international familiarity of roman letterforms in a simple, robust design suitable for meeting the demands of a modern industrial economy, while rejecting the extraneous ornamentation of the departing Victorian era.

It is an all-cap design with a number of playful ligatures. It has an appealing boldness that reverses well. Künstler means ‘artist’ in German. Artistic is an attribute ascribed to both highly embellished Victorian types and to Art Nouveau Grotesks. I had always assumed it was a person’s name until I came across the translation. Lesson: conjecture is not fact. More…

Image source: Petzendorfer, again!