Book frontispiece of folk etymology, from 'frontispice' to 'frontispiece' ('front' + 'piece'). Book frontispiece A frontispiece in books is a decorative or informative illustration facing a book's title page—on the left-hand, or verso, page opposite the right-hand, or recto, page. While some books depict thematic elements, other books feature the author's portrait as the frontispiece. In medieval illuminated manuscripts, a presentation miniature showing the book or text being presented (by whom and to whom varies) was often used as a frontispiece. The word comes from the French "frontispice", or the late Latin "frontispicium", from the Latin "frons" ('forehead') and "specere" ('to look
Book of Kells lower quadrant of the page. The entire assemblage is contained within an elaborate border. The Gospel of Matthew begins with a genealogy of Jesus. At , the actual narrative of Christ's life starts. This "second beginning" to Matthew was given emphasis in many early Gospel Books, so much so that the two sections were often treated as separate works. The second beginning begins with the word "Christ". The Greek letters chi and rho were normally used in mediaeval manuscripts to abbreviate the word "Christ". In Insular Gospel Books, the initial Chi Rho monogram was enlarged and decorated. In the Book