Willem Vorsterman
Encyclopedia
Willem Vorsterman was an early printer of books, active in Antwerp between 1504 and 1543. He published about 400 books in Dutch, Spanish, English, Latin, French and Danish, making him the second most productive printer in the Netherlands in the first half of the 16th century, behind Hillenius. His earliest production, between 1500 and 1520, consisted mainly of works of fiction in Dutch often in chapbook
format, while he later expanded into other languages and genres, with more luxurious, illustrated editions. He entered the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke
in 1512 and was its dean in 1527 and 1542. His shop was in the "Golden Unicorn", near the Kammerpoort in Antwerp.
Chapbook
A chapbook is a pocket-sized booklet. The term chap-book was formalized by bibliophiles of the 19th century, as a variety of ephemera , popular or folk literature. It includes many kinds of printed material such as pamphlets, political and religious tracts, nursery rhymes, poetry, folk tales,...
format, while he later expanded into other languages and genres, with more luxurious, illustrated editions. He entered the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke
Guild of Saint Luke
The Guild of Saint Luke was the most common name for a city guild for painters and other artists in early modern Europe, especially in the Low Countries. They were named in honor of the Evangelist Luke, the patron saint of artists, who was identified by John of Damascus as having painted the...
in 1512 and was its dean in 1527 and 1542. His shop was in the "Golden Unicorn", near the Kammerpoort in Antwerp.
Published works
- 1504: Amerigo VespucciAmerigo VespucciAmerigo Vespucci was an Italian explorer, financier, navigator and cartographer. The Americas are generally believed to have derived their name from the feminized Latin version of his first name.-Expeditions:...
, Mundus Novus - 1506: John Cassian, Dit is der ouder vader collasie
- 1514: Bethlem, Een devote meditacie op die passie ons liefs Heeren Jesu Christi, reprinted numerous times until 1540
- 1515: Mariken van NieumeghenMariken van NieumeghenMariken van Nieumeghen is a 1974 Dutch drama film directed by Jos Stelling. It is based on the early Dutch book "Die waerachtige ende seer wonderlycke historie van Mariken van Nieumeghen die meer dan seven jaren met den duvel woonde ende verkeerde" , dating 1518...
- 1515: Saint JeromeJeromeSaint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
, anthology of his letters, partially reprinted in 1533 - 1516: Margarieta van Lymborch
- 1517: Die rechte conste om alderhande wateren te destilleeren
- 1518-1525: ElckerlijcElckerlijcElckerlijc is a Dutch morality play which was written somewhere around the year 1470 and was originally printed in 1495. It was extremely successful and may have been the original source for the English play Everyman, as well as many other translations for other countries...
- 1520: Een seer ghenoechlike ende amoroeze historie vanden eedelen Lansloet ende die scone Sandrijn
- 1520: Den droefliken strijt van Roncevale
- 1521: William Lily, Libellus de constructione octo orationis partium ad codicem germanicum pluribus locis restitutus
- 1522: John FisherJohn FisherSaint John Fisher was an English Roman Catholic scholastic, bishop, cardinal and martyr. He shares his feast day with Saint Thomas More on 22 June in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and 6 July on the Church of England calendar of saints...
, Convuslio calumniarum Ulrichi Veleni Minhoniensis - 1523: Robert Sherwood, Ecclesiastes latine ad veritatem hebraicam recognitus
- 1527: Fasciculus mirre
- 1527: Een redelijck bewijs en verwinninghe der dolinghen
- 1528: Biblia a Dutch translation of the full Bible: also known are editions from 1530, 1532, 1533, 1534 and 1542. This translation was baed on the work of Luther.
- 1528: Joannes Custos Brechtanus, Syntaxis Brechtana de integro nuper recognita
- 1529: Sebastian VirdungSebastian VirdungSebastian Virdung was a German composer and theorist on musical instruments. He is grouped among the composers known as the Colorists. He studied in Heidelberg as a scholar of Johannes von Soest at the chapel of the ducal court. After being ordained, he became chaplain at the court in Heidelberg....
, Livre plaisant et très utile..." - 1529: Jacques Lefèvre d'ÉtaplesJacques Lefèvre d'ÉtaplesJacques Lefèvre d’Étaples or Jacob Faber Stapulensis was a French theologian and humanist. He was a precursor of the Protestant movement in France. The "d’Étaples" was not part of his name as such, but used to distinguish him from Jacques Lefèvre of Deventer, a less significant contemporary, a...
, French translation of the Bible - 1529-1531: a number of works in Danish by Christiern PedersenChristiern PedersenChristiern Pedersen was a canon, humanist scholar, writer, printer and publisher.-Education:Christiern Pedersen was born in Helsingør, Denmark. He was schooled in Roskilde and studied from 1496 at the University of Greifswald...
, then exiled in the Low Countries - 1530: Petrus Sylvius, Tfundament der medicinen ende chyrurgien
- 1531: Anthonis De Roovere, Die excellente cronicke van Vlaanderen
- 1533: Juan Luis VivesJuan Luís VivesJuan Luis Vives , also Joan Lluís Vives i March , was a Valencian Spanish scholar and humanist.-Biography:Vives was born in Valencia...
, Dutch translation of the De subventione pauperum - 1536: Beatus RhenanusBeatus RhenanusBeatus Rhenanus , also known as Beatus Bild, was an Alsatian humanist, religious reformer, and classical scholar....
, Vita Erasmi - 1537: Bernard of ClairvauxBernard of ClairvauxBernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
, Een suyverlijck boecxken (reprinted 1540) - 1538: La noble science des joueurs d'espée
- 1538: Historie vander coninghinnen Sibilla
- 1540: De verloren sone
- 1542: Nicolaus van EschNicolaus van EschNicolaus van Esch was a Dutch Roman Catholic theologian and mystical writer.-Life:...
, Dye groote evangelische peerle vol devoter ghebede
Sources
- Hilmar M. Pabel, Erasmus, Willem Vorsterman, and the Printing of St. Jerome's Letters, Quaerendo 37, 2007