Cornelis van Haarlem
Cornelis van Haarlem was a Dutch Mannerist painter known for forceful muscular figures, crowded mythological scenes, and expressive biblical compositions.
Painter
Karel van Mander
Karel van Mander was a Flemish-born Dutch Mannerist painter and writer whose biblical scenes and copper paintings shaped Haarlem art in northern Europe.
Karel van Mander quick facts
Karel van Mander worked as a painter in Haarlem and wrote the 1604 Schilder-boeck, an important source on artists and art in the Low Countries.
| Full name | Karel van Mander |
|---|---|
| Born | 1548 · Meulebeke, Habsburg Netherlands (now Belgium) |
| Died | 1606 · Amsterdam, Dutch Republic (now Netherlands) |
| Nationality | Flemish-born Dutch |
| Movements | Northern Mannerism (Haarlem circle) |
| Paint types | Oil Paint |
| Other media | — |
| Other materials | — |
| Painting surfaces | Wood · Copper |
| Painting methods | Oil painting on wood panels and copper plates, with densely arranged figures in biblical and historical compositions |
| Common subjects | Old Testament narratives, Roman virtue, portraits, and nature allegories |
| Notable works | The Crossing of the Jordan · The Continence of Scipio · Before the Flood · Schilder-boeck |
Sources: Museum Boijmans: Crossing of the Jordan, oil on panel, Rijksmuseum: Continence of Scipio, oil on copper, Kunsthistorisches Museum: Male Portrait, oil on oak, Städel: Before the Flood, oil on copper.
Paint types used by Karel van Mander
The documented paint types in Karel van Mander’s work include Oil; examples below connect each medium to a specific work and clarify its role in the image.
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Oil paint
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen catalogs The Crossing of the Jordan (1605) as oil on panel, while the Rijksmuseum records The Continence of Scipio (1600) as oil on copper. Van Mander’s mythological and biblical compositions therefore span two rigid supports; these museum records separate the paint medium from the surface beneath it.
Sources: Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen: The Crossing of the Jordan; Rijksmuseum: The Continence of Scipio.; Städel Museum: Karel van Mander
Painting surfaces used by Karel van Mander
Records identify Karel van Mander's use of wood and copper, with named examples below showing how each support functions in the finished work.
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Wood
Van Mander’s paintings include wood-panel works such as The Crossing of the Jordan and the Rijksmuseum’s Male Portrait. The rigid panel carries densely arranged figures and narrative details, distinguishing these works from his small copper paintings. The collection records document both support types.
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Copper
Van Mander also painted on copper, as documented for the Rijksmuseum’s The Continence of Scipio (1600). The smooth metal panel supports a detailed mythological scene and differs from the wooden panels used for larger compositions; the museum record directly identifies this less common support.
Sources: Museum Boijmans: Crossing of the Jordan, oil on panel, Rijksmuseum: Continence of Scipio, oil on copper, Kunsthistorisches Museum: Male Portrait, oil on oak, Städel: Before the Flood, oil on copper.
Painters similar to Karel van Mander
Cornelis van Haarlem and Hendrick Goltzius worked in the Haarlem Mannerist circle van Mander described in his influential art-writing and biographies.
Hendrick Goltzius
Hendrick Goltzius was a Dutch printmaker and painter who helped establish Haarlem Mannerism before turning to more classical oil painting around 1600.