Botany saw numerous publications in Europe during the 16th – 17th centuries, most of which contained illustrations. Another visual aspect of these books which has received less study is the...Show moreBotany saw numerous publications in Europe during the 16th – 17th centuries, most of which contained illustrations. Another visual aspect of these books which has received less study is the frontispiece. This essay provides a case study on the two frontispieces for the English work known as "The Herball" (1597, 1633). This study investigates the visual thinking of early modern Europe and the relationship between art and science during this period. The central question to be answered during this research is: What can the 1597 and 1633 frontispieces for John Gerard’s "The Herball" tell us about the visual understanding of botany in the late 16th and early 17th century England?Show less
This thesis examines the buying behaviour of Dutch women during the eighteenth century and determines whether a change can be detected in the kinds of works that women bought. The research is based...Show moreThis thesis examines the buying behaviour of Dutch women during the eighteenth century and determines whether a change can be detected in the kinds of works that women bought. The research is based on the female customers that came to Luchtmans, an academic bookshop in Leiden, and thus the main source of this study is the extensive archive that the firm has left behind. At the start of the eighteenth century, a wealthy mother primarily visited the shop to purchase school books for her young children. However, as the century progressed, an increasing number of unmarried women came to buy newspapers and novels, as they had more freedom to pursue their own interests. Although these women were certainly not representative of the general female population in Leiden, an interesting shift presented itself when comparing women from two time periods in the eighteenth century.Show less
