Illustrations in early printed Latin Bibles in the low countries (1477-1547)

In the fijirst fijifty years of book production in the Low Countries no illustrated Latin Bible editions were published. Some editions did include one or two woodcuts as decoration, usually on the title page and sometimes elsewhere as well in the edition to fijill up a blank page or to make the volume more attractive. Illustrated Latin Bible editions appeared fijirst as of 1525. The typical illustrated Latin Bible edition printed in the Low Countries in the fijirst half of the sixteenth century is a New Testament in Erasmus' translation and printed in a (very) small format. The edition includes illustrations in the text of the gospels and in the book of Revelation. The woodcuts are usually copied from several existing series of woodblocks, sometimes supplemented by individual pieces, and therefore vary sometimes in style and format. In some cases an entirely new series of woodcuts was created for a Latin New Testament. Illustrations have different functions in Latin Bible editions: to illustrate, as an aid for memorization, and to explain.