Illustrations

I. Various artists

1. Jan Swart van Groningen, in: Bible. Antwerp, Willem Vorsterman, 1528.

Jan Swart was born around 1500 in Groningen and died after 1553, possibly in Antwerp. He was a painter and woodcut draughtsman. He designed the woodcuts for the Old Testament and the Apocalypse in the Vorsterman bible from 1528, the first bible that was completely illustrated. Some of the designs by Jan Swart were copied from German woodcuts.

* Bible. Antwerp, Willem Vorsterman, 1528. vol. 1: a7v Abraham welcoming the three angels	* Bible. Antwerp, Willem Vorsterman, 1528. vol. 1: b5r Jacob's dream
* Bible. Antwerp, Willem Vorsterman, 1528. vol. 1: Ff6v Job on the dunghill, mocked by his wife	* Bible. Antwerp, Willem Vorsterman, 1528. vol. 1: X1v Jonah cast on dry land by the fish

2. Lieven de Witte, in: Bible. Antwerp, Hansken van Liesvelt, 1538.

Very little is known about Lieven de Witte. Various archives tell us that he was born around 1513 and died after February 1578. Karel van Mander mentions in his Schilder-boeck (1604) that he was active in Gent and that he was a good painter. He also designed glass windows for the current Sint Bavochurch in Gent. However, his woodcuts in Dat leven ons Heeren Christi Jesu (1537) are the only ones to have come down to us. These woodcuts were frequently reused and copied in bibles.

* Bible. Antwerp, Hansken van Liesvelt, 1538. ^2II4r Storm on the Sea of Galilee	* Bible. Antwerp, Hansken van Liesvelt, 1538. ^2NN1v The marriage-feast at Cana
* Bible. Antwerp, Hansken van Liesvelt, 1538. ^2NN6v Christ's entry into Jerusalem	* Bible. Antwerp, Hansken van Liesvelt, 1538. ^2MM4r Return of the prodigal son

II. Representation of the biblical narrative

The representation of the biblical narrative sometimes varies, as the following examples show:

1. Creation

* Bible. Cologne, Heinrich Quentell, 1478. [b]1r	* Bible. Antwerp/Cologne, Frans Birckmann, 1526. vol. 1: a1r
* Bible. Antwerp, Willem Vorsterman, 1528. vol. 1: a1r	* Bible. Antwerp, Merten de Keyser, 1534. vol. 1: *8v

2. David and Goliath

* Bible. Antwerp, Willem Vorsterman, 1528. vol. 1: r2v

* Bible. Antwerp, Hansken van Liesvelt, 1538. M7v

* Bible. Antwerp, Joannes Steelsius, 1541. vol. 1: N6v

3. Birth of Christ

* New Testament. Antwerp, Jan Batman, 1542. vol. 1: L5v

* New Testament. Antwerp, Matthias Crom, 1538. K5v

* New Testament. Antwerp, Henrick Peetersen van Middelburch, 1548. M2r

4. Temptation of Christ

* Epistles and Gospels. Zwolle, Peter van Os van Breda, 1488. h2r (signed as h1r)	* Epistles and Gospels. Antwerp, Henrick Eckert van Homberch, 1517. g5v	* Gospels. Amsterdam, Doen Pietersoen, 1521. g5v
* New Testament. Antwerp, Anthonis van der Haeghen, 1541. vol. 1: M1v	* New Testament. Antwerp, Matthias Crom, 1538. A5v