Artwork

Title page to Richard Brathwait, English Gentleman and English Gentlewoman

Title page to Richard Brathwait, English Gentleman and English Gentlewoman is an ink print by the Renaissance artist William Marshall. It dates from 1623 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The work is the title page for Richard Brathwait’s volume English Gentleman and English Gentlewoman, executed as an engraving in 1623 by the English printmaker William Marshall. It functions as a frontispiece, introducing the text with a decorative border and typographic heading rendered in a period‑appropriate style.

Subject & Meaning

The engraving presents a symmetrical ornamental frame surrounding the title, employing motifs typical of early‑seventeenth‑century book design. The emphasis on order and balance reflects the moral and social ideals promoted in Brathwait’s treatise on proper conduct for men and women of the English gentry.

Technique & Style

Marshall achieved the intricate pattern through fine, closely spaced lines incised with a burin, a common tool for copperplate engraving of the era. The resulting chiaroscuro effect creates a delicate texture, while the lettering follows a Renaissance‑inspired serif form, reinforcing the work’s classical aesthetic.

History & Provenance

Created in London in the early Stuart period, the title page was printed as part of the first edition of Brathwait’s work. Surviving copies are held in several rare‑book collections, indicating the original print run was modest and that the engraving has been preserved primarily through institutional holdings.