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Mercator: Travels into the Unknown

This exhibition focused on the fascinating interaction between the practice of travel in the 16th and 17th centuries and the development of cartography, with travel reports, books, letters, maps and atlases, instruments and prints. The exhibition also commemorated the five hundredth anniversary of cartographer Gerard Mercator (1512-1594).

Jan I Moretus and the Struggle over the Press

On 22 September 2010 it was exactly 400 years since the death of Jan I Moretus (or Jan Moerentorf) in 1610. This exhibition covered his twenty-year struggle over the press and used original archive records to show how Jan I Moretus held a steady course through stormy waters.

Following Columbus

Antwerp books and prints around the world

18.04.2009 - 19.07.2009 | This exhibition looked at the considerable influence of the Antwerp printing houses on printing and visual culture in the overseas territories up to the 18th century.

Hebraica Veritas. Did God Speak Hebrew?

Antwerp books and prints around the world

The study of Hebrew, books in that language and new translations were a booming business in the second half of the 16th century. Businessman Christophe Plantin took advantage of this new market and acquired Hebrew fonts which are today the oldest and most precious in the world.

Wondrous Beasts on Paper in Plantin's Day

From 5 May to 5 August 2007. A true Wunderkammer – a cabinet of curiosities featuring natural exhibits such as stuffed animals, shells and oddities.

ABC 2004. Sampling Letters, Appreciating Prints

16.10.2014 - 16.01.2005 | The first part of this double exhibition was devoted to the type samples of Christophe Plantin. The second part dealt with the graphic techniques of book illustration, from the 15th century to the present day.

Rubens 2004

A love of books: Rubens and his library

Like his art collection, Rubens’ library reflected his personality. He read artists’ biographies and studied atlases, books on language and the fledgling science of archaeology, preferably in Latin. Rubens’ library was one of the largest in Antwerp. The selection shown in Rubens 2004 had never previously been exhibited.

Tyndale’s Testament

The pivotal figure in the preparation of the first English Bible translation in print was William Tyndale. His achievement helped unite the English people.

Geometrical and Navigational Compasses

'Geometrical and Navigational Compasses. Southern Netherlandish Capital and Knowledge as the 16th-Century Building Blocks for the East India Company' was the title of this exhibition in 2002, marking the 400th anniversary of the Dutch East India Company. The exhibition focused on two related subjects: Antwerp’s trade outside Europe, and scientific knowledge in the Southern Netherlands in the 16th century.

Arabic Culture and Ottoman Splendour

During Antwerp's Golden Age

01.12.2001 - 03.03.2002 | The Officina Plantiniana and Antwerp played a crucial role in the cultural interchange between the Arab and the Western world. The exhibition gave an outline of that interchange. It was also part of the celebration of the 125th anniversary of both the Plantin-Moretus Museum and the Association of Antwerp Bibliophiles.