Rutger Velpius

Rutger Velpius
Native name Rutger Van Velpen
Born around 1540
Leuven
Died 1614 or 1615
Brussels
Citizenship City of Brussels (from 1586)
Occupation printer and bookseller
Years active 1564–1614
Era handpress
Organization University of Leuven
City of Mons
Brussels Court
Spouse(s) Catherine Waen
Children Catherine Velpius
Parent(s) Renier Velpius

Rutger Velpius (around 1540–1614/15) was a 16th- and 17th-century printer and bookseller. He was the first printer in the city of Mons, and later became printer to the court in Brussels. His career coincided closely with the first decades of the Dutch Revolt

Life

Leuven

Velpius became a bookseller in Leuven in 1564, and in 1565 was licensed as a "sworn bookseller" to the University of Leuven. Around 1567 he married Catherine Waen, daughter of the Scottish expatriate bookseller John Waen.

In 1570 Velpius was examined and certified as a printer, his certification specifying that he knew Latin, French and Flemish, and a little bit of Greek. For his work in Leuven he used two printer's marks: a large one with a crenellated tower, an angel of vengeance above it and the figures of Justice and Peace embracing before the gates, with the motto Justitia et pax osculate sunt. Psal. 84. (Justice and peace have kissed); and a smaller one showing Justice and Peace kissing with the motto Justitia et pax. In 1578 he was licensed to print the government's decrees.

Mons

In 1580 he relocated to Mons, becoming the first printer to work in the city. The local government equipped a printing workshop at the city's expense.[1] To demonstrate his skill to the city magistrates, Velpius printed Libert Houthem's Kakogeitnia seu mala vicina, libellus, vicinos malos velut catalogo recensens (1580). The first work certainly printed in Mons is Le Renart decouvert (1580), an anonymous satire on William of Orange written by Jean Richardot. Although a native speaker of Dutch, during this period of his life Velpius printed almost exclusively in French.[2]

In 1966 facsimiles of Kakogeitnia and Le Renart decouvert were printed in Mons as a single volume with the title Les premiers livres imprimés à Mons, and with introductions by Christiane Pierard and Pierre Ruelle.

Brussels

In 1585 Velpius relocated again, to Brussels, in the wake of Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, by whom he was appointed printer to the court. He established his business in a shop called "L'Aigle d'or" (The Golden Eagle) close to Coudenberg palace. Here he designed a new printer's mark, a two-headed eagle charged with a crucifix, and the motto Sub umbra alarum tuarum protege nos (Protect us under the shadow of your wings). In 1586 he obtained the freedom of the city of Brussels.

Besides decrees and other official pieces he also published a great many occasional pieces and books in several languages. The Royal Library of Belgium catalogues 170 works published by Velpius between 1585 and 1600.[3] In 1588 and 1589 he printed or reprinted a number of news reports from France.[4] In Brussels his output also reflected the interests of courtiers, with a number of Spanish books, particularly on military and religious themes,[5] as well as news pamphlets about Habsburg military victories in the Low Countries and in Hungary.

In 1594 his daughter, Catherine, married Hubert Anthoon, and from 1598 Velpius brought his son-in-law into the business, leaving it for him to run after his death in 1614 or 1615.

Select list of publications

Decrees and news pamphlets

Other works

References

  1. ↑ Robert Wellens, "Velpen (Rutger ou Roger Van), ou Velpius", Biographie Nationale de Belgique, vol. 40 (Brussels, 1978), 799–807
  2. ↑ Monica Stensland, Habsburg Communication in the Dutch Revolt (Amsterdam University Press, 2012), p. 110.
  3. ↑ A fuller catalogue can be found in Andrew Pettegree and Malcolm Walsby, eds., Netherlandish Books: Books Published in the Low Countries and Dutch Books Printed Abroad before 1601 (Leiden and Boston, 2010), ISBN 9789004191976, and in the Universal Short Title Catalogue.
  4. ↑ Andrew Pettegree, The French Book and the European Book World (Leiden and Boston, 2007), p. 124.
  5. ↑ Paul Arblaster, From Ghent to Aix: How They Brought the News in the Habsburg Netherlands (Leiden and Boston, 2014), p. 54
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