Illustrating Books with Engravings: Plantin's Working Practices Revealed.

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.