The sanserif: the search for examples

The sanserif is a simple form of letter, with neither "serifs" or endstrokes, nor much variation (indeed sometimes none at all) between the thick and thin strokes. If first appears in the work of architects and artists at the end of the 18th century. Later, but not before about 1830, it began to be used as a model for printing types, and it soon became widely used for posters and commercial printing. In the 20th century, it was a dominant form in the typography of the modern movement. It is the style of some of the most familiar current typefaces, among which are Futura, Gill Sans, Helvetica. The dates of the appearance of the early sanserif in the work of "neo-classical" artists remain badly documented, and I am still searching for examples: my talk will offer a summary of what we currently know.