Artwork

Title Page to Hermes Theologus or New Descants Upon Old Records, Theoph. Woodnote

Title Page to Hermes Theologus or New Descants Upon Old Records, Theoph. Woodnote is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Unknown 19th Century. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is a title page illustration for the volume *Hermes Theologus or New Descants Upon Old Records* by Theophilus Woodnote.

About this work

Overview

The work is a title page illustration for the volume *Hermes Theologus or New Descants Upon Old Records* by Theophilus Woodnote. Executed as an engraving, the image functions as a decorative frontispiece, combining ornamental motifs with the printed title and accompanying text.

Subject & Meaning

The composition presents a densely patterned border surrounding the book’s title, reflecting the scholarly and theological nature of the text. The intricate designs serve both an aesthetic purpose and a visual cue that the work engages with complex theological commentary.

Technique & Style

Created by incising fine lines into a metal plate, the engraving relies on dense hatching to achieve tonal variation and depth. This line-based shading, characteristic of early modern printmaking, allows subtle gradations without the use of color, emphasizing the precision of the artist’s hand.

History & Provenance

The title page was produced as part of the original printing of Woodnote’s treatise in the early seventeenth century. As a printed frontispiece, it would have been bound with each copy of the book, circulating among scholars and collectors of theological literature.