Title Page to Jeremy Taylor, The Great Exemplar

William Faithorne

National Gallery of Art

The engraving shows a depiction of a woman, a child, multiple adult figures, and several symbolic elements. At the center, a woman and a child are shown from waist up. The woman is holding the child. The child has curly hair. Both figures are surrounded by a halo and embraced by an angel from above. Above them, a cherubic face watches from below. Surrounding this central image are multiple square panels featuring different scenes: the top left and right panels depict elderly figures with long hair and beards, engrossed in writing or reading. Directly below the top left figure is a round inset showing a divine or spiritual figure in light amid clouds, while the middle bottom left and right panels exhibit similar elder figures. On the right, there is a scene with a cross labeled 'INRI,' surrounded by symbolic elements such as a skull and lightning. All these components are framed with decorative details and placed on a backdrop of engraved text, patterns, and engravings depicting religious and symbolic iconography, including a crown and angelic faces.