Who painted Title Page?

Title Page was painted by Charles Francis Greville in 1786.

Where can I see Title Page?

Title Page is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Title Page?

Title Page is associated with Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of Title Page?

Museum-quality prints of Title Page are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Title Page

Charles Francis Greville , 1786

Title Page is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Francis Greville. It dates from 1786 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower left in image: Palmi 45 / Section of the Marita di Grano at Roma; lower right, in image on tomb: URNAM HANC / INTER VETERA ARTIS MONUMENTA / IN PRIMIS INSIGNEM / EQUES GULIELMUS HAMILTON / A / GEORGIO III MAGNAE BRITANNIAE REGE / AD / SICIL REGEM FERDINANDUM IV / LEGATUS / UT PATRIAM / TAM CLARO PRISCI OPERIS NOMINE / ORNARET / IN ANGLIAM TRANSMISIT / ET / AVRI INCIDENDAM CURAVIT

About this work

Overview

It depicts an elaborate architectural fountain surrounded by foliage and classical arches, rendered with fine tonal gradations.

Created around 1786, this print by Charles Francis Greville is an etching and aquatint on laid paper, produced as a standalone decorative sheet rather than a book illustration. It depicts an elaborate architectural fountain surrounded by foliage and classical arches, rendered with fine tonal gradations. The work is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and exemplifies late 18th-century British printmaking techniques.

Subject & Meaning

The central motif is a stone fountain adorned with sculpted figures of humans and mythical creatures, evoking a mythological or allegorical setting. A seated woman in period dress gestures toward the scene, possibly symbolizing contemplation or patronage. Latin inscriptions suggest a dedicatory function, though the exact text remains untranslated. The composition blends natural and fantastical elements, reflecting Enlightenment-era interests in antiquity and symbolic representation.

Technique & Style

Greville employed etching for fine linear detail and aquatint to achieve soft, atmospheric shading, creating depth and volume in the stone surfaces and foliage. Drypoint may have been used to enhance texture in the carvings and tree bark. The layered technique gives the scene a painterly quality, with careful modulation of light and shadow.

The composition is structured with receding arches and a distant horizon, guiding the viewer’s eye into a simulated three-dimensional space.

History & Provenance

The print was produced during Greville’s active years as a collector and amateur artist, likely as a private commission or personal project. It entered the National Gallery of Art’s collection through established acquisition channels in the 20th century. No record of earlier ownership or exhibition history is widely documented, suggesting it was never widely distributed but preserved as a refined example of domestic print culture.

Context

In the 1780s, British artists increasingly turned to etching and aquatint to reproduce landscape and architectural subjects, influenced by continental traditions and the popularity of antiquarian studies. Greville’s work aligns with this trend, mirroring the aesthetic of garden design and classical revival architecture favored by the educated elite. The inclusion of Latin text reflects the era’s scholarly pretensions and the cultural value placed on classical learning.

Legacy

Though not widely reproduced or studied, this print remains a representative artifact of amateur printmaking in late Georgian England. It illustrates how artistic techniques once reserved for professional publishers were adopted by collectors and gentlemen amateurs to explore visual narratives of antiquity. Its preservation in a major museum underscores its value as a document of cultural taste and technical skill in the period.