Following graduation from the University, he
became a school teacher 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.
