Title Page to The New World of Words or A General English Dictionary
Unknown Artist
published 1678
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
plate: 26.4 × 15.4 cm (10 3/8 × 6 1/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1951.11.906
Art Historical Context
This elegant engraving serves as the title page for *The New World of Words or A General English Dictionary*, published in 1678. Created through the precise technique of engraving, which allowed for intricate details and wide reproduction in printed books, the work would have welcomed readers into a comprehensive guide to the English language. Such frontispieces often featured symbolic imagery celebrating knowledge, words, and learning, reflecting the growing importance of dictionaries in organizing and standardizing vocabulary during the late 17th century. In an era when English was evolving...