Ellen van Heteren
A mystery traveller
In the mid-seventeenth century, the Dutch city of Haarlem was a centre of culture, learning and art. In this city lived Theodorus Schrevelius, humanist and poet. Born in Haarlem in 1572, Schrevelius studied the classic languages. He became conrector and later rector of the Latin School in his home city. After twenty-four years of service, he was fired because of his remonstrant religious orientation and moved to Leiden, where he also filled the role of rector. Later, he was able to move back to Haarlem. Nearing the end of his life, he wrote the Harlemias, which added to a long list of publications by his hand. After over three hundred years, a copy of this book ended up in the special collections of the Royal Dutch Institute in Rome (KNIR). What is the story of this mystery traveller?
The Harlemias, printed in Haarlem by Thomas Fonteyn in 1648, was written because of Schrevelius’s love for the city in which he was born and raised. The author wrote a history of this city from its first building blocks to his own time. In doing so, he covered many different aspects of this history, which he divided into six ‘books’. The first book tells the tale of the city’s origins, the second of the famous siege of Haarlem, and the third that of the Dutch Revolt and reformation that followed. From the fourth book on, the subjects get more thematic: The fourth book summarizes all the city’s privileges and nobility; the fifth describes the rise of institutions such as the military, schools and police; the sixth book is all about the civility of Haarlem, its important magistrates, learned men, artisans and artists, and all other workers. The work was originally written in Latin and published in 1647, but soon it was rewritten in vernacular Dutch, because the author wanted to share his love for his city with everyone and not just the learned elite, as Schrevelius shares in his foreword to the reader. The books are accompanied by several poems and laudatory speeches.
After this engraving follows the typographical title page on which it, of course, states the entire title, the author and the impressum. On the back of this folio, someone has left their initials or some type of illegible signature. The engraving was an intricate part of the book as the same engraving is found in all other books from the print of 1648. A reprint from 1754 shows a different engraving. The larger part of the book is printed in a gothic letter, but some exceptions occur when names, poems or any type of citation is written.
Overall, the book and its paper are in excellent condition. There are no tears or breaks and no signs of biological infestations except for a little bookworm who left tiny holes in pages 247-383. With the exception of the end leaves and title pages, not a single marginalium can be found. These first few pages do carry interesting information about the provenance of the book. Most of these are, unsurprisingly, stamps and pencil-written signatures of libraries that held this book. Far more interesting, however, is a loose piece of paper that was put between the pages of the book. It contains an invitation for two persons to a concert that was organised by the Acedemie de France a Rome. A previous owner thus was somehow related to the French Academy of Rome. The catalogue of the KNIR library only reveals that the object was added to the collection in 2018, although I find this somewhat unlikely. Unfortunately, the KNIR does not seem to keep any other information about when or how this book came into the possession of the KNIR, whether it has ever been in the French Institute, or when it was bought by or donated to either institution.
Author's Page
For a whole week, we have all worked together on this project. On this page, we will introduce ourselves individually and explain which books we have chosen. Here, too, a colofon is added, explaining everyone's role within our project.
Dylan Breedeveld
MA Literary Studies, Radboud University
I am a Master’s student of Literary Studies (Specialisation: Literair Bedrijf) at the Radboud University Nijmegen. After my Bachelor’s in Classical Languages and Cultures at the Radboud University Nijmegen and my Research Master’s in History at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, I am still exploring the vast world of literature in the Classical, Medieval and Early Modern times. This course broadens my horizons from a new perspective: the materiality of the book.
In my essay, I examine two books written by the Dutch classicist Nicolaas Heinsius which were bound together. I compare the materiality of the books to illustrate some of the differences in print in Europe.
Ellen van Heteren
MA book history, UvA
I did a bachelor in history and am currently a master’s student of Book history at the University of Amsterdam, where I specialise in cartography and materiality. I long to become a conservator/restorator of book and paper and saw the course Mining Library Treasures in Rome as a means to use the skills and knowledge I’d gained so far and to learn more about early print and books.
A copy of the Harlemias by Theodorus Schrevelius, printed in 1648 in Haarlem, rests in the special collection of the Royal Dutch Institute in Rome’s library. Its contents have been widely studied, but never its users. Although unremarkable, the copy in the KNIR reveals some hints to its unique history and those who have been interested in reading the city history of Haarlem.
Lisette Gosens
MA book history, UvA
I’m a master’s student book history at the University of Amsterdam, my specialisation lies in Medieval manuscripts and incunabula. Before, I completed the bachelor Dutch language and literature, also at the University of Amsterdam. My interest goes to Dutch literature from Hebban olla uogala until today. With this KNIR project I was able to combine my interest in literature with book history.
I wrote an essay about the lesser know 1644 edition of Bredero’s Alle de wercken and its publisher, Joost Hartgers. I compare this edition to its first publication from 1638, and try to declare the choices made by Hartgers.
Lars Jansen
MA writing, editing and mediating, RUG
After a Bachelor in English Language & Culture I started the MA in writing, editing and mediating. My specialisation is modernist and post-modernist literature, but both the BA and the MA included snippets of book history, including palaeography and the history and context of manuscripts and incunabula. I signed up for the KNIR practicum to develop and use some of the skills gathered in these courses a bit more, fearing that I might be well out of my depth, but I quickly discovered that even a 400 year old book can benefit from a fresh pair of literary eyes.
The Schilder-Boeck, by Karel van Mander includes a separate part consisting of literary-critical glosses to Ovid’s first century poem Metamorphoses. As with the constituent parts of the Schilder-Boeck, and the manual on the Greek way of portraying their deities at the end, it has its own title page and was printed and sold separately several times during the seventeenth century. This was, on the one hand, done by the printer and publisher to boost their sales, but, as Jeroen Stumpel points out, the Wtlegghingh was most likely only seen as part of the Schilder-Boeck in the later stages of production. The lack of references to the very act of painting in the main text and in the laudatory poems by colleagues suggests that it was intended as a separate work. Only in the “Voor-rede” does van Mander connect Ovid’s poem with painting. The ultimate inclusion of the critical treatise in the Schilder-Boeck, combined with van Mander’s intentions as stated on the title page, then is testament to van Mander’s holistic view of art as including both the visual and the literary.
Colofon
Silke Karsenberg
BA history, RUG
My name is Silke Karsenberg and I am 21 years old. I am currently in the last year of my BA History at the University of Groningen, and am planning to get into an MA English Literature after that. This week, I have studied Adrianus van Meerbeeck’s Chroniicke van de Ganstche Werelt ende sonderlinghe van de Seventhien Nederland. This chronicle is a Dutch history covering especially the Dutch War of Independence from 1500 until 1620. It contains 22 engravings of portraits which were probably used in other works as well. The engravings combined with the folio format made this chronicle an expensive work, which is probably the reason for its rareness.
Adrianus van Meerbeeck’s chronicle is a Dutch history covering especially the Dutch War of Independence from 1500 until 1620. It contains 22 engravings of portraits which were probably used in other works as well. The engravings combined with the folio format made this chronicle an expensive work, which is probably the reason for its rareness.
Annelynn Koenders
MA book history, UvA
At this moment I’m doing the master Book Studies at the University of Amsterdam. My focus lies on medieval manuscripts. During this course in Rome I studied the Beschryvinghe van alle de Nederlanden (1612), a beautiful book containing over 100 maps off the Low Countries.
Descrittione di tutti i Paesi Bassi (1567) was the first description of the Low Countries. It was written by the Italian merchant Lodovico Guicciardini (1521-1589). This work contains a dozen maps of the Low Countries and her regions. This essay discusses the difference between Descrittione di tutti i Paesi Bassi and the Dutch translation, Beschryvinghe van alle de Nederlanden (1612). The translation was printed by the famous Dutch map maker Willen Jansz. Blaeu (1571-1638) and contains far more maps than the original. This shows that Lodovico Guicciardini made a great start with his Descrittione di tutti i Paesi Bassi, but the Dutch translation is a more detailed description for anyone who wanted to know more about the Low Countries.
Vincent de Kruif
MA book history, UvA
I am currently studying the MA book sciences at the UvA. I have a background in Latin and ancient Greek literature. My specialization lies in medieval and early modern Latin literature and books.
Justus Lipsius commentary, Ad annales Taciti liber commentarius, sive notae, was certainly revolutionary in the study of the Roman author. How was the commentary actually used? In this essay I will discuss how the copy at the library of the KNIR was used by past readers and can be used by current readers.
Nouschka van der Meij
BA art history, RUG
As a student of art history (and a fan of medieval movies), I was interested in looking at the iconography of heraldic imagery. During my research, I found out how this book is carrying much more subtext and that the Dutch heraldic tradition was much more alive than I thought.
The book I chose for this course is placed in the context of the changes in heraldic tradition and examined for its material aspects. The 17th century book is a good example of an interpretation of the traditions and changes happening in the field, which is focused on noble heraldry.
Lieke van Rooij
MA art history, RUG
Aspiring academic and book enthusiast, I partook in this course with joy, excitement and intrigue. Books are often left to literary studies. Instead, I turn to them as an art historian with an outlook focussed on materiality and art-historic research.
The book is a chronicle of Zeeland, in two parts, discussing important events and the aftermath of such, important stadholders and dukes (with images) and descriptions of cities and their coat of arms. This pride in place can be explained by an increase in national confidence and national solidarity. The book's materiality includes a rich history on the flyleaf with reallocations of the book throughout the KNIR. Both of these exemplify a rich and inherently human history.
This website was created during the Mining Library Treasures of the KNIR. 2021
Koninklijk Nederlands Instituut Rome
Via Omero 10/12
00197 ROMA
General e-mail
info@knir.it
Tel. office
+39 063269621
Curator and motivational speaker:
Nouschka van der Meij.
Team Website and ‘wow how did you do that’:
Ellen van Heteren, Silke Karsenberg and Vincent de Kruif.
Editors and garden-path sentence enthusiasts:
Lars Jansen, Lieke van Rooij and Lotte Willeboordse.
Collation correctors, jack of all trades and masters of some more:
Lisette Gosens and Annelynn Koenders.
Photographer and expert barista:
Dylan Breedeveld.
Special thanks to Eva van Kemenade MA, Dr. Maria Bonaria Urban, Janet Mente BA, Alessandra Liberatore and the librarians and everyone else who made this possible.
Lotte Willeboordse
MA, book history, UvA
I am a Master student Book Studies at the university of Amsterdam. I follow a track of Book Studies that focusses more on the modern book and publishing world. This course at the KNIR gave me the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of older and rare books.
La grande chronique ancienne et moderne, de Hollande, Zelande, West-Frise, Utrecht, Frise, Overyssel et Groeningen, jusques à la fin de l’an 1600 by historian and poet Jean François le Petit (1546-?) is a history book describing the general history and leaders of the Dutch Republic until 1600. It is a nationalistic and royalist work of historiography which unites the Dutch noblemen as warriors and finds their origins in the Batavian myth.