Willem Vorsterman (died 1543) 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 A chapbook is a type of small printed booklet that was a popular medium for street literature throughout early modern Europe. Chapbooks were usually produced cheaply, illustrated with crude woodcuts and printed on a single sheet folded into 8, 1 ...

format, while he later expanded into other languages and genres, with more luxurious, illustrated editions. He entered the Antwerp

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 iden ...

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 Vespucci Amerigo Vespucci ( , ; 9 March 1454 – 22 February 1512) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Florence for whom "Naming of the Americas, America" is named. Vespucci participated in at least two voyages of the A ...

, ''Mundus Novus'' *1506:

John Cassian John Cassian, also known as John the Ascetic and John Cassian the Roman (, ''Ioannes Cassianus'', or ''Ioannes Massiliensis''; Greek: Ίωάννης Κασσιανός ό Ερημίτης; – ), was a Christian monk and theologian celebrated ...

, ''Dit is der ouder vader collasie'' *1511 or earlier: ''Den Herbarius in dyetsche'', reprint of a work published by

Johann Veldener Johann Veldener (born in Würzburg, died in Leuven between 1486 and 1496), also known as Jan Veldener or Johan Veldenaer; was an early printer in Flanders. He worked as a punchcutter and printer in Cologne, together with William Caxton, who may hav ...

in Leuven in 1484 *1514: Bethlem, ''Een devote meditacie op die passie ons liefs Heeren Jesu Christi'', reprinted numerous times until 1540 *1515: ''

Mariken van Nieumeghen ''Mariken van Nieumeghen'' ("Mary of Nijmegen") is a miracle play recorded in a Middle Dutch text from the early 16th century. The protagonist Marijke, Mariken of the story spends seven years with the devil, after which she is miraculously relea ...

'' *1515: Saint

Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. He is best known ...

, anthology of his letters, partially reprinted in 1533 *1516: ''Margarieta van Lymborch'' *1517: ''Die rechte conste om alderhande wateren te destilleeren'' *1518–1525: ''

Elckerlijc ''Elckerlijc'' (also known as ''Elckerlyc'') is a morality play from the Low Countries which was written in Dutch somewhere around the year 1470. It was first printed in 1495. The play was extremely successful and may have been the original sou ...

'' *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 Fisher John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Rochester from 1504 to 1535 and as chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He is honoured as a martyr and saint by the Catholic Chu ...

, ''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 based on the work of Luther. *1528: Joannes Custos Brechtanus, ''Syntaxis Brechtana de integro nuper recognita'' *1528: ''Pronosticatie, Dit is een seer wonderlijcke prophecie'' (also exists in French, same year) *1529:

Sebastian Virdung Sebastian Virdung (born c. 1465) 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. ...

, ''Livre plaisant et très utile...'' *1529:

Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples (; Latinized as Jacobus Faber Stapulensis; c. 1455 – c. 1536) was a French theologian and a leading figure in French humanism. He was a precursor of the Protestant movement in France. The "d'Étaples" was not par ...

, French translation of the Bible *1529–1531: a number of works in Danish by

Christiern Pedersen Christiern Pedersen (c. 1480 – 16 January 1554) was a Danish 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 Uni ...

, then exiled in the Low Countries *1530: Petrus Sylvius, ''Tfundament der medicinen ende chyrurgien'' (reprint 1540) *1531: Anthonis De Roovere, ''Die excellente cronicke van Vlaanderen'' *1533:

Juan Luis Vives Juan Luis Vives y March (; ; ; ; 6 March 6 May 1540) was a Spaniards, Spanish (Valencian people, Valencian) scholar and Renaissance humanist who spent most of his adult life in the southern Habsburg Netherlands. His beliefs on the soul, insigh ...

, Dutch translation of the '' De subventione pauperum'' *1536:

Beatus Rhenanus Beatus Rhenanus (22 August 148520 July 1547), born as Beatus Bild, was a German humanist, religious reformer, classical scholar, and book collector. Early life and education Rhenanus was born on 22 August 1485 in Schlettstadt (Sélestat) in ...

, ''Vita Erasmi'' *1537:

Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercians, O.Cist. (; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, Mysticism, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templar, and a major leader in the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercia ...

, ''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 Esch Nicolaus van Esch (Eschius) (1507 in Oisterwijk near 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands – 19 July 1578) was a Dutch Roman Catholic theologian and mystical writer. Life After finishing his classical studies in the school of the Hieronymite ...

, ''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 {{DEFAULTSORT:Vorsterman, Willem Year of birth unknown 1543 deaths Businesspeople from Antwerp Flemish printers Painters from Antwerp Book publishers (people) from the Habsburg Netherlands