Title Page to John Weever, Ancient Funeral Monuments

Art Historical Context

This elegant engraving by Thomas Cecil served as the title page for John Weever’s 1631 publication *Ancient Funeral Monuments*, a pioneering antiquarian study of English church memorials and epitaphs. Created during the reign of Charles I, the print reflects the growing seventeenth-century interest in preserving Britain’s historical and cultural heritage through printed scholarship. As a book illustration, it helped introduce readers to Weever’s meticulous documentation of tombs and inscriptions across the country. Cecil, an accomplished English engraver, employed the medium’s fine lines and precise detail to create an inviting yet dignified frontispiece. Engravings like this one were essential for disseminating knowledge widely, allowing intricate designs to be reproduced affordably for a growing audience of scholars and collectors. The compact plate size—roughly 10 by 7 inches—made it well suited for binding within the printed volume. Today, this impression from the National Gallery of Art’s Rosenwald Collection offers a glimpse into the collaborative world of early modern printmaking, where artists and authors worked together to celebrate and safeguard the past.