Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Artist of the Day, June 9, 2026 : Marie Boulanger, graphic artist, typographer, designer (#2548)

Based in London but originally from Paris, Marie Boulanger is the Design Lead at Monotype, guiding the brand’s visual voice. She studied linguistics, graphic design and type design and is particularly interested in the intersection of those disciplines. Prior to joining Monotype, Marie worked in branding agencies and foundries in Europe, the USA and Canada, creating custom type for a variety of clients.


London, England, December 8th, 2023 – Monotype, a global leader in type design and technology, has announced the appointment of Marie Boulanger to Design Team Lead within the new Creative Development and Production department at Monotype. 

For Marie, typography is a lifelong passion. She consistently pushes the cultural conversation when it comes to linguistics and type design, as with her research in her book, XX, XY: Sex, letters and stereotypes, investigating the relationship between letters and gender stereotypes and the impacts on the design world using beautifully illustrative examples and expert interviews. Also fascinated by the cultural zeitgeist of typography, Marie’s commentary on Wes Anderson’s use of type as nostalgia in The French Dispatch was the most read article on Creative Boom in 2022. 

Marie joined Monotype in 2021, working on typeface campaigns such as Cotford, Akzidenz-Grotesk, and Shorai Sans.   

French-British Marie has also been a key figure in the ongoing cross-cultural research project, “Typography Matters,” in collaboration with applied neuroscience company Neurons. The research offers fresh insights on how different font styles make us feel, with significant variation by cultural context and geographical location. Initially a UK-wide study, it has since expanded into Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Portugal, Spain, and the US. This research has significant implications for brands seeking to convey particular feelings to their customers. Boulanger has presented the research findings at high-profile events such as Brand Talks Paris and Adobe MAX.  

Marie Boulanger, Design Team Lead at Monotype, said, “It fills me with an enormous sense of pride and accomplishment to be promoted to Design Team Lead within the new Creative Development and Production department. I am excited to grow and nurture our talented team of designers and expand Monotype’s design capabilities as well as harness the power and relevance of typography.” 

© 2026. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Marie Boulanger / Monotype or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only


Ms. Marie Boulanger
Kefiz Campaign, 2018
Kefiz Logo, 2018

XX, XY- Sex, Letters and Stereotypes, 2018-19
Aligre Regular Character Set, 2019
Personal business cards, 2019
Personal Lettering, 2020
Vulva typeface, 2020
Wizz&Co Logotype, 2020
Faubourg Display Font Specimen, 2021
Faubourg Display Font Specimen, 2021
Faubourg Font Family faubourg specimen 12, 2021
Greeting card print To celebrate the arrival of 2021 in style
Magazine Issue 10, 2021
Table for Two 
A set of typographic bookplates for chef Bre Graham’s debut cookbook, 
2021
Universe of Type Campaign Merchandise, 2021
Move On From Free Fonts, 2022
The Stamp Alphabet, 2022
Balbosté Logotype, 2023
Balbosté maître d’hôtel gifts, 2023

Table for Two,  
A set of typographic bookplates for chef Bre Graham’s debut cookbook
 

2023

Balbosté business cards, 2024
Balbosté website, 2024
Font Connection, 
A Valentine’s day microsite and campaign launched by Monotype, 2024
Monotype Brand Guidelines, 2024

Wedding Whimsy — Explores Popularity of Brush Calligraphy Typefaces
2025

Monday, June 8, 2026

Artist of the Day, June 8, 2026 : Giovanni Bellini, an Italian Renaissance artist, painter (#2547)

 Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516) was an Italian Renaissance artist best known for his innovative use of color, interest in light, and emphasis on brushwork. Today, Giovanni is recognised as the most innovative and influential of the Bellini family of painters and his works range from portraits to altarpieces. Masterpieces include the superbly detailed and naturalistic Ecstasy of Saint Francis painting and his hyper-realistic Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan. Bellini's work was hugely influential on his Venetian contemporaries, and this continued through the work of his pupils, amongst whom was Titian. 

Bellini was born into the leading dynasty of Venetian painters. He seems to have been the younger brother of Gentile Bellini. His development was first shaped by his father, Jacopo. His brother-in-law Andrea Mantegna also influenced early works, such as 'The Blood of the Redeemer' and 'The Agony in the Garden'. The visit of Antonello da Messina to Venice in 1475-6 may also have influenced him.

Despite his successes, Giovanni was still somewhat overshadowed by his brother Gentile in his own lifetime, largely because of his seniority in age. An example of this is the commission for Gentile to complete a large cycle of historical paintings for the Great Council of Venice. However, in 1479 Gentile was dispatched to Constantinople on a diplomatic mission and Giovanni was the natural choice to continue the work. This he did, adding perhaps seven entirely new paintings to the collection. Critics regarded these new canvases as amongst the artist's best ever, but unfortunately for posterity, a fire ravaged the building a century later in 1577 and destroyed all of the artwork.

Always a prolific painter, Bellini kept on working into his eighties. Later masterpieces include The Drunkenness of Noah and the Lady at her Toilet. As the famed German Renaissance painter Albrecht Dürer stated in 1506 CE, Bellini "was very old, but still the best in painting". 

© 2026. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by visualDiplomacy or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only



 Giovanni Bellini
Presentation at the Temple, c.1450
The Dead Christ in the Tomb, c.1457
The Agony in the Garden, c.1459-65
Greek Madonna, c.1460-70
Pietà, c.1472
Madonna and Child with the Infant St. John the Baptist, c.1480
St. Francis in Ecstasy, c.1480
The Transfiguration of Christ, c.1480
Madonna and Child, c.1480-85
Madonna and Child, c.1485-88
The Transfiguration of Christ, c.1487
Barbarigo Altarpiece, c.1488
Man with a Turban, c.1490
Sacred Conversation, c.1490
Holy Allegory, c.1490-1500
Madonna and Child with John the Baptist and Saint Elizabeth, c.1490-1500
Christ Blessing, c.1500
St. Mark Preaching in Alexandria, c.1504–07
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints and Donor, c.1505
Martinengo Pietà, c.1505
The Assassination of Saint Peter Martyr, c.1505-07
Christ Carrying the Cross, c.1505-10
Madonna and Child with Saints, c.1505-10
The Infant Bacchus, c.1505-10
Madonna and Child with Four Saints and Donor, c.1507
Madonna and Child, c.1510
The Feast of the Gods, c.1514
Naked Young Woman in Front of the Mirror, c.1515
Portrait of Fra Teodoro of Urbino as Saint Dominic, c.1515