Woodcuts as Reading Guides: How Images Shaped Knowledge Transmission in Medical-Astrological Books in Dutch (1500-1550)

Research output: Book/ReportBookAcademic

Abstract

In the first half of the sixteenth century, the Low Countries saw the rise of a lively market for practical and instructive books that targeted non-specialist readers. This study shows how woodcuts in vernacular books on medicine and astrology fulfilled important rhetorical functions in knowledge communication. These images guided readers’ perceptions of the organisation, visualisation, and reliability of knowledge. Andrea van Leerdam uncovers the assumptions and intentions of book producers to which images testify, and shows how actual readers engaged with these illustrated books. Drawing on insights from the field of information design studies, she scrutinises the books’ material characteristics, including their lay-outs and traces of use, to shed light on the habits and interests of early modern readers. She situates these works in a culture where medicine and astrology were closely interwoven in daily life and where both book producers and readers were exploring the potential of images.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationAmsterdam
PublisherAmsterdam University Press
Number of pages480
ISBN (Electronic)9789048560264
ISBN (Print)9789048560257
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2023

Publication series

NameBijdragen tot de geschiedenis van de Nederlandse boekhandel
PublisherAmsterdam University Press
VolumeNew Series 23

Funding

FundersFunder number
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek322-30-009 (PhDs in the Humanities)
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijke Onderzoek (NWO)36.201.075 (Open Access Fonds)
Professor Van Winter Fonds
De Gijselaar Hintzenfonds

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