What Is a Frontispiece? — The Illustration Facing the Title Page

A frontispiece is an illustration placed opposite the title page of a book — typically on the verso (back) of the front free endpaper or on a separate leaf immediately preceding the title page. The frontispiece is traditionally the most prominent illustration in a book, and for books from the 17th through early 20th centuries, it was often the only illustration.

History and Purpose

Origins

The frontispiece emerged in the 16th century as copperplate engraving became the dominant illustration technique. Because engraved illustrations had to be printed separately from the letterpress text (on different presses using different methods), placing a single illustration at the front of the book — facing the title page — was the simplest and most economical arrangement.

The Portrait Frontispiece

The most common type of frontispiece is a portrait of the author, particularly for biographies, collected works, and editions of classical or canonical authors. Portrait frontispieces range from simple engraved likenesses to elaborate compositions featuring the author surrounded by allegorical figures, books, instruments, or architectural settings.

Famous portrait frontispieces include:

• The Droeshout engraving of Shakespeare in the First Folio (1623) — the most famous frontispiece in English literature
• Author portraits in collected editions of major writers throughout the 18th and 19th centuries
• Photographic frontispieces in 20th-century books

The Allegorical Frontispiece

Some frontispieces are allegorical compositions rather than portraits — depicting scenes that symbolize or illustrate the book’s content. Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan (1651), with its famous frontispiece showing the sovereign composed of the bodies of his subjects, is the most iconic example.

The Scenic Frontispiece

Maps, landscapes, and scenes related to the book’s content are common frontispieces, particularly in travel books, histories, and scientific works.

Frontispieces and Book Value

Completeness

A book described as having a frontispiece that is missing the frontispiece is incomplete — a significant condition defect. Frontispieces are among the most commonly missing elements in older books because:

• They were printed on separate leaves (not part of the text block’s gathering structure) and could easily become detached
• Portrait frontispieces were sometimes removed for framing
• Tissue guards (protective tissues placed over frontispieces) may have been mistaken for the frontispiece itself and discarded

Identification

When purchasing an older book, verify that the frontispiece called for in the bibliographic description is present. The standard format for noting its absence: “lacking frontispiece” or “frontispiece wanting.”

Tissue Guards

Many frontispieces were issued with a tissue guard — a thin sheet of tissue paper placed over the illustration to prevent offsetting (the transfer of ink from the frontispiece to the facing title page). The presence or absence of the tissue guard is a minor point; the frontispiece itself is the essential element.

Offsetting

Ink from a heavily printed frontispiece can offset (transfer) onto the facing title page, leaving a ghostly reverse image. This is a common condition issue, usually described as “light offsetting from frontispiece to title page” — a minor defect unless severe.

In Catalog Descriptions

Standard terminology:

• “With frontispiece” or “frontispiece portrait” — the frontispiece is present
• “Lacking frontispiece” — the frontispiece is missing
• “Frontispiece tissue guard present” — the protective tissue is intact
• “Slight offsetting from frontispiece” — minor ink transfer

Frontispieces in Modern Books

In modern trade publishing (post-1950), frontispieces are far less common than in earlier centuries. When they do appear, they typically take the form of a photographic author portrait or a reproduction of a manuscript page. Some notable modern books with frontispieces include editions of Hemingway, where photographic portraits were used, and collected poetry volumes where a portrait establishes the author’s visual identity.

The decline of the frontispiece reflects changes in printing technology (offset lithography made it easy to insert illustrations anywhere in the text, eliminating the economic advantage of placing a single illustration at the front) and in design aesthetics (contemporary book design tends toward minimalism in the prelims).

For collectors of modern first editions, the frontispiece is rarely a significant concern — most post-1950 books do not have one. When one is present, its condition and completeness follow the same principles as for older books: it should be present, undamaged, and free from offsetting to the facing page.

The frontispiece remains one of those details whose presence is taken for granted but whose absence immediately signals an incomplete copy. For collectors of older books, checking for the frontispiece is part of the basic inspection routine.

Notable Frontispieces That Affect Value

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the frontispiece always on the left? In Western books, yes — the frontispiece is traditionally printed on the verso (left-hand page) of the leaf preceding the title page, so that it faces the title page when the book is opened. This positioning maximizes visual impact.

Can a frontispiece be tipped in? Yes. Because frontispieces were often printed separately from the text, they were frequently “tipped in” (attached with a narrow strip of adhesive along the inner edge). A tipped-in frontispiece is correct and original in many books — it is not a repair or addition.

How do I tell if a frontispiece has been removed? Look for a stub — a narrow remnant of paper visible in the gutter where the leaf was cut out. A cleanly removed frontispiece leaves a stub that is visible when the book is examined from the top edge. In books where the frontispiece was tipped in, a faint adhesive residue on the facing leaf may be the only evidence.