The Liggeren refers to the archives of the Antwerp

Guild of St. Luke The Guild of Saint Luke was the most common name for a city guild for painters and other artists in early modern Europe, especially in the Low Countries. They were named in honor of the Four Evangelists, Evangelist Saint Luke, Luke, the patron sa ...

. This important archive is used as a source of biographical information on Flemish artists. For instance, it contained the names of all the harpsichord makers in Antwerp. It also included the dates when artists became masters as well as commissioned works. The archive also provided insights concerning the guild membership of female artists. For instance, the entry on the free master Lysbeth Laureys in 1509 did not indicate her craft specialization but her relationship to a male artist, which in this case was her father identified as Jan. Female artists commonly became members of the guild by inheriting guild rights from their husbands or male relatives. Various aspects of the Liggeren have been published, most notably in the 19th century.

References

De liggeren en andere historische archieven der Antwerpsche sint Lucasgilde
listing archives from 1453 to 1615, by Ph. Rombouts and Th. van Lerius, Antwerp, 1872, on

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1872 books History of Antwerp Painters from Antwerp {{Art-hist-stub