Willmott Antwerp and the Golden Age

Culture, Conflict and Commerce
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-917458-23-8
Verlag: Unicorn
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 252 Seiten

A remarkable painting by the Antwerp painter Maerten de Vos, 'Moses Showing the Tablets of the Law to the Israelites', shows wealthy merchants, artists and poets, a ground-breaking botanist, a pioneer in women's education, and the greatest publisher of the age gathered around a portrayal of Moses and Aaron with the stone tablets of the law engraved with the Ten Commandments in Dutch. In searching for an answer to the question of what brought together this diverse group of influential people in sixteenth-century Antwerp, Richard Willmott turns to their letters, diaries, friendship albums and poetry to write a group biography. As he finds out more about each life and explores the links that brought them together, he shows how a network of friendship and exchange of scholarly ideas that crossed the Channel and Europe's borders lay behind the rich civilisation of sixteenth-century Antwerp, until it was destroyed by the struggle for political and religious power in the Eighty Years War when the Dutch fought the Spanish for independence.

Richard Willmott read English at Cambridge University and took an MA in Early Modern French Literature at the University of East Anglia. He has taught literature all his life. His other books include an introduction to metaphysical poetry, an edition of Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, and The Voluble Soul, a monograph on the poetry of the priest and poet Thomas Traherne. In retirement he has chaired the Traherne Association and enjoys stewarding in Hereford Cathedral's early modern chained library, and visiting art galleries.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Willmott, Richard

Leseproben

Dramatis Personae
The following list is intended to aid the reader if they come across an unfamiliar name and need a little information to place them in the story. Generally speaking, I have not listed those who appear only once, whose identity will be explained at the time. Alba, Duke of: The general sent by Philip II to the Low Countries to suppress Protestantism and resistance to royal authority, who would later become Governor of the Low Countries. Anjou, Duke of: The youngest son of Henri II of France; unsuccessful suitor of Elizabeth I of England; invited to replace Philip II as hereditary ruler of the United Provinces of the Low Countries, he proved treacherous and died soon after being forced to flee the country. Assonleville, Christoffel d’: Lawyer and influential member of the council that governed the Habsburg Low Countries under Margaret of Parma. Aylmer, John: Tutor to Lady Jane Grey; exiled under Mary, and Bishop of London under Elizabeth. Barrefelt, Hendrik Jansen van (Hiel): Leader of a breakaway group from the Family of Love and a mystic theologian. Bomberghen, Cornelis van: A Calvinist merchant who was a business partner of Plantin. Botticelli, Sandro: A Florentine painter of the early Renaissance. Brederode, Hendrick van: A leader of the confederacy of Low Countries nobles who presented a petition to Margaret of Parma demanding an end to the persecution of Protestants (the Geuzen). Burghley: See Cecil. Camden, William: English antiquarian and author of Britannia. Çayas (Zayas), Gabriel de: A scholarly secretary of Philip II. Cecil, William, Baron Burghley: Queen Elizabeth I’s principal adviser for much of her reign. Cisneros, Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de: Statesman, religious reformer and scholar; founder of the first university of Alcalá de Henares in Spain and initiator of the Complutensian Polyglot Bible. Clinton, Edward, Earl of Lincoln and Lord High Admiral: English patron of Lucas d’Heere. Coudenberg, Pieter: Botanist. Coxcie, Michiel: A Flemish painter who served both Charles V and Philip II (c. 1499–1592). Cranmer, Thomas: First Protestant archbishop of Canterbury under Henry VIII and Edward VI; martyred by Mary I. Dousa, Janus (Jan van der Does): Governor of Leiden during the Spanish siege and first president of its university. Dudley, Robert, Earl of Leicester: Favourite of Elizabeth I and leader of the expeditionary force to support the Dutch. Erasmus, Desiderius: A scholar from Rotterdam (1466–1536) who insisted on the importance of establishing reliable biblical texts; he was critical of the Catholic Church, but thought reform should come from within and opposed Luther. Espés, Don Guerau de: Spanish ambassador to Elizabeth I. Eyck, Jan and Hubert van: Brothers who painted The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb in St Bavo’s Cathedral, Ghent. Farnese, Alessandro, Duke of Parma and Piacenza: Son of Margaret of Parma, general of Philip II’s forces in the Low Countries and Governor (1578–92). Granvelle, Antoine Perrenot de: Cardinal and statesman; adviser to Margaret of Parma and subsequently to Philip II; a man of great learning and patron of Plantin and Lipsius (who as a young man was his secretary). Guicciardini, Lodovico: Italian merchant who settled in Antwerp and who wrote a detailed description of the Low Countries and their culture illustrated with city maps. Haemstede, Adriaan van: Pastor of the Dutch stranger church at Austin Friars accused of Anabaptist sympathies and expelled from England. Heere, Lucas d’: Painter and poet from Ghent. Heyns, Peeter: Owner of an influential girls’ school in Antwerp, as well as a poet and playwright. Hoefnagel, Joris: Miniaturist, illuminator and poet from Antwerp. Hooftman, Anna: Daughter of Gillis and wife of Orazio Palavicino; she subsequently married Sir Oliver Cromwell (uncle of the Lord Protector of the same name). Hooftman, Bartholomaeus: An elder brother of Gillis, and a merchant and alderman of Trier. Hooftman, Gillis: Wealthy Antwerp merchant, financier and ship-owner. Hooftman, Hendrik: An elder brother of Gillis; merchant who fled Alba’s persecution. Hooftman, Margaretha: Daughter of Bartholomaeus Hooftman and wife of Peeter Panhuys. Lefèvre, Guy, de la Boderie: French scholar of oriental languages and poet; with his brother Nicolas he was one of the correctors of the Biblia Regia. Leicester: See Dudley. Lipsius, Justus (Joost Lips): Eminent classical scholar and philosopher. Mander, Karel van: Pupil of d’Heere who wrote Het Schilder-boeck, which contains a collection of brief biographies of painters. Margaret of Parma: Illegitimate daughter of Charles V; became Duchess of Parma by her second marriage. Governor of the Low Countries (1559–67) until the arrival of Alba; mother of Alessandro Farnese, a subsequent Governor. Marlowe, Christopher: Elizabethan playwright and poet. Marnix van St Aldegonde: Statesman and writer; William of Orange’s right-hand man and Governor of Antwerp when it was besieged by Farnese. Marot, Clément: French Protestant poet, some of whose psalm translations form part of the Genevan Psalter. Melanchthon, Philip: Lutheran theologian. Meteren, Emanuel van: Dutch merchant based in London who became consul for the Dutch community in London and wrote the first history of the Dutch revolt. Moerentorf, Jan (Moretus): Married Plantin’s eldest daughter and inherited the Antwerp printing press. His descendants continued to run the press until 1867 when it was sold to the city of Antwerp and became a museum; the presses, typefaces and much paperwork had been scrupulously preserved by the family. Montano, Benito Arias: Chaplain to Philip II, he was the biblical scholar and philologist sent to Antwerp to supervise the printing of the Biblia Regia. Moretus: See Moerentorf. Niclaes, Henrik: Founder of the Family of Love. Nispen, Margaretha van: Third wife of Gillis Hooftman; her eldest child, Anna, married Palavicino. Noot, Jan van der: A Protestant, he was one of the first poets to write in Dutch. Noue, François de la: Huguenot leader and war hero. Ortelius, Abraham: Antwerp cartographer, author and scholar. Parma: See Farnese. Perez, Luis: Spanish merchant based in Antwerp; close friend of Plantin. Palavicino, Orazio (Sir Horatio Palavicino): Noble Genoese merchant and financier; became an English denizen and served as an ambassador for Elizabeth I; married Anna Hooftman. Panhuys, Peeter: Merchant and partner of Gillis Hooftman, whose niece he married. Plantin, Christophe: A Frenchman, he was the pre-eminent printer of Antwerp. Postel, Guillaume: A learned French scholar of ancient oriental languages and a religious universalist. Racket, Johanna: Niece of Gillis Hooftman and wife of Johan Radermacher. Radermacher,...