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 ...