Matorral
Bureau Brut · Yoann Minet · 2019
A sculpted humanist serif with compact proportions and Mediterranean character, designed by Yoann Minet and originally commissioned for a pottery museum identity.
About
Originally created as a single weight for the Pottery Museum de La Borne, Matorral borrows specific details from historical sources including the t of Ehmcke Antiqua and the R of Caxton Old Style. Its letterforms are pruned and stocky, evoking arid Mediterranean scrubland rather than lush naturalistic ornament, with thickened stroke endings and moderate contrast suited to sustained text setting. Eight styles across four weights, each with matching italic, make it a capable workhorse that retains a distinctive handmade tension.
Classification
Matorral draws on late 19th and early 20th century typeface traditions, with modelled, sculptural letterforms and moderate contrast that place it firmly in the humanist serif camp, referencing sources such as Ehmcke Antiqua and Caxton Old Style.