Balthasar or Balthazar Bellerus or Bellère (active 1589–1634) was a printer first at Antwerp and later at Douai in the Habsburg Netherlands. He was a son of the reputable Antwerp printer Joannes Bellerus, and set up a printing shop of his own in the Rue des Ecoles in Douai in 1590, becoming a colleague and rival to Jan Bogard.[1] The motto that appeared on his printer's mark was Labore ac perseverantiâ (Work and perseverance). His marks were the golden compass and a unicorn dipping its horn in a stream.[1]

On 15 November 1638, Balthasar Moretus wrote to Bellerus asking him to provide an apprenticeship for Martin Nutius, oldest son of the recently deceased Anwerp printer Martinus Nutius III. On 23 November Bellerus declined, predicting that there would be no future for the boy in Antwerp's shrinking book trade.[2]

Works edit

Further reading edit

  • Albert Labarre, "Les Catalogues de Balthasar Bellère à Douai, 1598–1636", Gutenberg-Jahrbuch, 55 (1980), pp. 150–154.
  • H. Vanhulst, "Balthasar Bellère, marchand de musique à Douai (1603–1636)", Revue de musicologie, 85 (1999), pp. 227–263.

References edit

  1. ^ a b Félix Nève, "Beller (Balthazar) ou Bellère", Biographie Nationale de Belgique, vol. 2 (Brussels, 1868), 136-138.
  2. ^ Max Rooses, "Martin Nutius III", Biographie Nationale de Belgique, vol. 16 (Brussels, 1901), 14-15.
  3. ^ Vol. 1, vol. 2 on Google Books.
  4. ^ Delectus latinitatis on Google Books
  5. ^ Actions mémorables on Google Books