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This article examines how the Moretus family of printer-publishers in Antwerp quickly assumed control of the distribution of Nadal's famous Adnotationes et meditationes in evangelia and accompanying Imagines. The sale of both parts of this work is traced over more than fifty years. The ways in which the market for Nadal's publications burgeoned in the early seventeenth century and ultimately declined by the 1630s are documented. Essential throughout is the great diversity in the demand for these works. For amidst the exceptionally wide-spread, international interest in these works, there was a significant, as yet unrecognized demand for plain copies of the Adnotationes , without any accompanying illustrations. Hence, new insights are given for discussions of the actual spiritual and visual influence exerted by these remarkable publications in the decades immediately following their publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the working practices of Christopher Plantin in engraving book illustrations during the sixteenth century. It is claimed that most of Plantin publications with engraved illustrations appear to be illogically inconsistent, as the selection of plates used to print the illustrations differs from copy to copy. The author asserts that Plantin's production and illustration of Benito Arias Montano's "Humanae Salutis Monumenta" has puzzled scholars from various field of study. Moreover, several essential aspects of Plantin's production of "Monumenta" are examined.

The article examines the use of Maarten de Vos' book illustrations for the publications printed by pressman Jan Moretus I. It first discusses De Vos' missal designs and demonstrates the extensive utilization of his compositions. It then focuses on De Vos' unknown projects for book illustrations that were executed for the Plantin Press and traces them from the illustrations commissioned to follow Moretuses' publications. Finally, it concludes that designs which were traditionally attributed to De Vos are not really his original works.

The article focuses on the presentation by Marie Mauquoy-Hendrickx of Jan Wierix's book illustrations and how Wierix was the first to execute such engravings. It examines the group plates used to illustrate which were the original works and a copy of the engravings executed by Wierix for the illustration of text by Antwerp printer-publisher Cristopher Plantin. Accordingly, Plantin published engraving-illustrated editions of octavo books of hours that represent logical and revealing selections which were known publications of illustration from the Wierixes' engravings cataloged by Mauquoy-Hendrickx. It was emphasized that in the catalog of Mauquoy-Hendrickx, two or three distinct of plates have been made after each composition.