Who painted Title Page to "The History of Great Britaine" by John Speed?

Title Page to "The History of Great Britaine" by John Speed was painted by Jodocus Hondius I in 1611.

Where can I see Title Page to "The History of Great Britaine" by John Speed?

Title Page to "The History of Great Britaine" by John Speed is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Title Page to "The History of Great Britaine" by John Speed?

Title Page to "The History of Great Britaine" by John Speed is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Title Page to "The History of Great Britaine" by John Speed

Jodocus Hondius I , 1611

Title Page to "The History of Great Britaine" by John Speed is an ink print by the Baroque artist Jodocus Hondius I. It dates from 1611 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The title page for John Speed’s 1611 publication *The History of Great Britaine* is an engraved frontispiece executed by the Dutch cartographer and printmaker Jodocus Hondius I. The composition presents the book’s title surrounded by elaborate ornamental motifs and symbolic emblems, establishing a visual framework for the historical work that follows.

Technique & Style

The method permits fine linear control, evident in the dense network of scrollwork, heraldic devices, and miniature figures that populate the page.

Hondius employed copper engraving, incising lines into a metal plate with a burin before inking and pressing the image onto paper. The method permits fine linear control, evident in the dense network of scrollwork, heraldic devices, and miniature figures that populate the page. The style reflects early‑seventeenth‑century Dutch print aesthetics, combining cartographic precision with decorative baroque elements.

History & Provenance

Created in 1611, the engraving was printed as the introductory leaf of Speed’s seminal topographical history of England and Wales. Original impressions were bound into early editions of the volume, circulating among scholars and collectors of antiquarian literature. Surviving copies are held in several national libraries and rare‑book collections, attesting to the work’s continued scholarly relevance.

Context

The frontispiece appears at a time when printed atlases and historical surveys were gaining popularity across Europe. Hondius, already renowned for his map engravings, contributed his expertise to enhance the authority and visual appeal of Speed’s narrative. The elaborate border and emblematic imagery align the text with contemporary notions of national identity and royal patronage.