Jan Mommaert was the name of two 17th-century printers in Brussels, father (active 1585–1627) and son (active 1646–1669). Between the dates of their activity, Martine van Straeten operated a printing house under the name Widow of Jan Mommaert.
Jan (I) Mommaert The elder Mommaert began his printing business in Brussels in 1585, his first known publication being the terms of the city's surrender to Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma: .
In 1594 he printed a brief but richly illustrated account of the festive reception in Brussels of the new governor general, Archduke Ernest of Austria: (available on Google Books).
His shop was called simply De Druckerye ("The printing shop") and stood in the Stoofstraat behind Brussels Town Hall. Much of his printing was of the decrees of the city council.
His printing mark was a hooded falcon with the motto (After darkness I hope for light).
Widow of Jan Mommaert After Jan Mommaert the elder's death, probably in 1627, Martine van Straeten continued the family business under the name "Widow of Jan Mommaert". In 1631 she was in trouble with the authorities for publishing papal bulls without government permission, but she was pardoned on 16 September 1631.Alphonse Wauters, "Mommaert (Jean)", Biographie Nationale de Belgique, vol. 15 (Brussels, 1899), 88–91
In 1635 she printed the news pamphlet Nieuwe tydinghen uyt verscheyden quartieren van Europa, ghekomen tot Brussel tzedert den 18. tot den 23. Julii 1635 (New tidings from various parts of Europe, come to Brussels since the 18 to 23 July 1635), which might be an issue of an otherwise lost newspaper.
Jan (II) Mommaert The younger Jan Mommaert (1611–1669) was not only a printer but also a poet. He produced a much reprinted compilation of amorous, pastoral and burlesque lyrics, some of them his own work, under the title Het Brabands nachtegaelken (first edition 1650). His other poetic works are Stichtelyck ende vermakelyck proces (1658) and Den Christelycken dagh (1658).
He served terms on the city council in 1654, 1660 and 1666.
Publications Jan (I) Mommaert 1585: Articulen ende conditien vanden tractate aengegaen ende ghesloten tusschen die Prince van Parma ende de stadt van Bruessele 1594: Descriptio et explicatio pegmatum, arcuum et spectaculorum, quae Bruxellae Brabantiae pridie calendas februarii anno MDXCIIII exhibita fuere, sub ingressum serenissimi principis Ernesti, Dei gratia archiducis Austriae Available on Google Books 1594: Maximilien de Vignacourt, Serenissimi Ernesti adventum gratulatur Belgicae Maxaemyliani V 1596: Relation de ce que s'est exhibé en la ville de Bruxelles à l'entree du serenissime prince Albert, archiduc d'Austrice 1597: Jean Scohier, L'estat et comportement des armesL'estat et comportement des armes, 1597, on Google Books Second edition 1629L'estat et comportement des armes, 1629, on Google Books 1599: Philip Numan, Panegyricus in adventum Alberti et Isabellae in civitate Bruxellensem 1600: Mateo Alemán, Primera parte de la vida del picaro Guzman de Alfarache 1600: States of Brabant, Instructie ghemaeckt by mijne heeren Staeten van Brabandt, achtervolghende der welcker men tellen sal allen de heerden van allen de schouwen 1606: Jean-Baptiste Gramaye, Gallo-BrabantiaGramaye, Gallo-Brabantia (1606) on Google Books J.-B. Gramaye, Bruxella cum suo comitatuGramaye, Bruxella (1606) on Google Books J.-B. Gramaye, Thenae et Brabantia ultra velpam quae olim Hasbaniae parsGramaye, Thenae (1606) on Google Books J.-B. Gramaye, Arscotum Ducatus cum suis BaronatibusGramaye, Arscotum Ducatus (1606) on Google Books and in KULeuven Special Collections (high quality) 1610: J.-B. Gramaye, Antverpiae antiquitatesGramaye, Antverpiae (1610) on Google Books J.-B. Gramaye, Antiquitates illustrissimi ducatus BrabantiaeGramaye, Antiquitates (1610) on Google Books 1614: Andres de Soto, Het leven van den heyligen Joseph, bruydegom onser Liever Vrouwen, translated by Franciscus Vanden Broecke 1629: J. A. Cools, Geestelycke Herders-dichten, behelsende Brusselsche Bee-vaert, Bethléem, ScherpenheuvelGheestelycke herders-dichten on Google Books
Widow of Jan Mommaert 1629: Jean Scohier, L'estat et comportement des armes (with a commendatory sonnet by Jan Mommaert the younger) 1630: Juste Damant, Manière universelle de fortifier 1635: Nieuwe tydinghen uyt verscheyden quartieren van Europa, ghekomen tot Brussel tzedert den 18. tot den 23. Julii 1635.Nieuwe tydinghen (1635) on Google Books 1636: Eberhard Wassenberg, Scherp sinnighe Neep-Dichten (with a commendatory verse by Jan Mommaert the younger)Wassenberg, Scherp sinnighe Neep-Dichten (1636) on Google Books
Jan (II) Mommaert 1646: Erycius Puteanus, Bruxella septenariaPuteanus, Bruxella (1646) on Google Books 1647: Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Het leven is maer droom (a Dutch translation of Life Is a Dream)Calderón, Het leven is maer droom (1647) on Google Books 1650: Jan Mommaert, Het Brabandts nachtegaelkenMommaert, Brabandts nachtegaelken (1650) on Google Books Bernardinus Surius, Den godtvruchtighen pelgrim ofte Jerusalemsche reyse Surius, Den godtvruchtighen pelgrim (1650) on Google Books 1656: Emanuel d'Aranda, Relation de la captivité et liberté du sieur Emanuel de Aranda, mené esclave à Alger en l'an 1640, et mis en liberté l'an 1642 Aranda, Relation de la captivité (1656) on Google Books 1657: Jacques de Condé (ed.), Costuymen ende rechten der stadt BrusselCondé, Costuymen (1657) on Google Books 1660: César Oudin, Tesoro de las dos lenguas, española y francesa (corrected edition)
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