Bock became a school teacher following
graduation from the University and then a Lutheran minister.
He also practiced medicine. During his spare time Bock
maintained gardens and plant collections. Bock possibly
wrote his herbal, New Kreuterbuch, published in
1539, largely at the instigation of Brunfels. At first
the book described the plants which he found in the woods
and field but did not illustrate them. However, the edition
of 1546 and later editions were well illustrated. In some
editions 537 pictures were included.
His method of classification was to associate "such
plants as nature seems to have linked together by
similarity of form." His taxonomy was based on
vegetative parts only. He described morphology of
flowers and fruits but paid no reference to them in
classifying plants.
Bock's artists worked from the plant itself
although they followed to some extent the work of
Brunfels and Fuchs. The descriptions were superior to
those given by Brunfels. The artists of the early part
of the 16th Century realized the responsibilities of
the scientific illustrator. The drawings must be
accurate as well as attractive. Many of the flowers
illustrated by these artists for the 16th Century
herbalists produced surprisingly attractive
plates.
