Frontispiece

In architecture, a frontispiece constitutes the elements that frame and decorate the main, or front, door to a building; especially when the main entrance is the chief face of the building, rather than being kept behind columns or a portico.

In books, a frontispiece is an elaborate decorative illustration that appears, either facing the title page of the book, or on the title page itself. Elaborate engraved title pages were formerly in frequent use, especially in Bibles and in scholarly books, and many of these pages are masterpieces of the art of engraving.