Karel van Mander (Meulebeke, Flanders 1548 - Amsterdam, 1606) was one of the most important painters and theoreticians who introduced Romanism and Mannerism to the Low Countries.
Around 1573 Van Mander left for Italy. He worked in Florence with Vasari on the dome fresco of the Duomo and in Terni he painted in the Palazzo Spada. He then settled in Rome for more than three years. There he befriended Bartholomeus Spranger and was influenced by him. In 1577 he accepted the retreat. He carried out another assignment in the cemetery of Krems an der Donau and with his compatriot Hans Mont he made triumphal arches for the entry of Emperor Rudolf II into Vienna.
The reformist Van Mander settled in Haarlem in 1583. He would live and work there for twenty years. He had an 'academy' there with Cornelis van Haarlem and Hendrick Goltzius, presumably a small study club where naked models were drawn, which was actually forbidden at the time. Van Mander had brought this practice from Italy and introduced it to the Netherlands for the first time, although female nude models remained taboo in both countries. The education of the academy was aimed at fellow art lovers who wanted to practice after the male model outside the guild. They also exchanged their views on art, mainly on Mannerism.
The judgement of Salomon. Engraving after a drawing/painting of Karel van Mander I (1548-1606), engraved by Cornelis Jacobsz Drebbel (1572-1633) ca 1597, published in the Netherlands by Robert de Baudous (1574-1659) ca 1597. References: New Hollstein Dutch 30 2(2). In good condition. Good impression on thin laid paper with narrow margins and just in the below margin, text and image is complete.
Monogrammed and dated lower left: KM 1600 (K and M conjoined) Certificate Dr Walther Bernt, Munich, 22.6.1974. Although Karel van Mander was an important painter, he owes his fame in equal measures to his groundbreaking ‘Schilder-boeck’, published in 1604. In this first publication of artists' biographies to appear north of the Alps, Karel van Mander compiled the biographies of Classical, Italian, Dutch and German painters. Van Mander was undoubtedly inspired to publish this work by the writings of the Italian painter Giorgio Vasari, whom he must have met in person in Florence during his 1573 trip to Italy, where Vasari was working on the frescoes for the cathedral. In 1577, van Mander returned to his Flemish birthplace of Meulebeke, but later fled to the northern Netherlands after the uprising against the Spanish and settled in Haarlem in 1583. In addition to drawings and prints based on his designs, only a little more than 30 paintings by Karel van Mander have survived, making the present landscape with Susanna and the Elders a significant addition to his œuvre. The subject of the figurative scene is taken from the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. The book tells of how two respected judges coveted Susanna, the wife of a rich man, and lay in wait for her in a garden. When Susanna refused the advances of the two men, they falsely accused her of adultery. The prophet Daniel was eventually able to prove Susanna's innocence and the elders' guilt. The popularity of this theme, with van Mander as well as numerous other artists, is probably due not least to the fact that it provided a welcome opportunity to depict a seductive female nude. We would like to thank Dr Fred Meijer, Amsterdam, for confirming van Mander's authorship on the basis of digital photographs.
The preaching of John the Baptist. Oil on panel. The author of the iconic Schilder-Boeck (1604), Karel van Mander was lauded as a painter in equal measure. In 1548, he was born in the Flemish village of Meulebeke. He received his first education in Ghent, Tielt and Tournai. In 1574 he went to Italy where he met, among others, Bartholomeus Spranger (1546-1611) who invited him to Prague to work on the triumphal arch for the Joyous Entry of Rudolf II (1552-1612). After some wanderings in Flanders, he moves in 1583 to Haarlem where he will live for 20 years. There he became friends with Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617) and Cornelis van Haarlem (1562-1638) who also shared a great enthusiasm for Spranger's work. The colourful clothing, complex composition of the figures and great attention to the landscape in the background are characteristic of Mannerism. Although Van Mander often elaborates the figures in slightly more detail, these are fairly sketchy figures, typical for his style. Description FR La prédication de Jean-Baptiste. Huile sur panneau. Auteur de l'emblématique Schilder-Boeck (1604), Karel van Mander est considéré comme un peintre à part entière. Il est né en 1548 dans le village flamand de Meulebeke. Il reçoit sa formation initiale à Gand, Tielt et Tournai. En 1574, il se rend en Italie où il rencontre notamment Bartholomeus Spranger (1546-1611) qui l'invite à Prague pour collaborer à l'arc de triomphe de l'Entrée joyeuse de Rodolphe II (1552-1612). Après quelques pérégrinations en Flandre, il s'installe en 1583 à Haarlem, où il vivra pendant 20 ans. Il s'y lie d'amitié avec Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617) et Cornelis van Haarlem (1562-1638), qui partagent eux aussi un grand enthousiasme pour l'œuvre de Spranger. Les vêtements colorés, la composition complexe des personnages et la grande attention portée au paysage à l'arrière-plan sont caractéristiques du maniérisme. Bien que Van Mander développe souvent les figures avec un peu plus de détails, il s'agit de figures assez sommaires, propres à son style. Beschrijving NL De prediking van Johannes de Doper. Olie op paneel. Als auteur van het iconische Schilder-Boeck (1604) wordt Karel van Mander op gelijke voet gelauwerd als schilder. In 1548 wordt hij geboren in het Vlaams dorp Meulebeke. Zijn eerste opleiding krijgt hij in Gent, Tielt en Doornik. In 1574 trekt hij naar Italië waar hij onder anderen Bartholomeus Spranger (1546-1611) ontmoet die hem uitnodigt in Praag om mee te werken aan de triomfboog voor de Blijde Intrede van Rudolf II (1552-1612). Na enkele omzwervingen in Vlaanderen, verhuist hij in 1583 naar Haarlem waar hij 20 jaar zal wonen. Daar geraakt hij bevriend met Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617) en Cornelis van Haarlem (1562-1638) die eveneens een groot enthousiasme deelde voor het werk van Spranger. De kleurrijke kleding, de complexe compositie van de figuren en de grote aandacht voor het landschap in de achtergrond zijn kenmerkend voor het maniërisme. Hoewel Van Mander de figuren veelal iets gedetailleerder uitwerkt, zijn deze redelijk schetsmatige figuren, eigen aan zijn stijl.
DAS URTEIL DES MIDAS und DER MUSIKALISCHE WETTSTREIT ZWISCHEN APOLLO UND PAN Öl auf Leinwand. Doubliert. 151 x 189 cm. Unsigniert. Verso mit altem spanischem Etikett sowie Sammlungsnummer „540“. In vergoldetem profiliertem Rahmen. Anmerkung 1: Im Kunsthistorischen Museum Wien wird ein kleines Gemälde von Bartholomeus Spranger (1546-1611) auf Marmor verwahrt, welches ehemals die Kaiserliche Sammlung von Rudolf II in Prag zierte und die linke Hälfte des vorliegenden Gemäldes darstellt. Anmerkung 2: Nach Karel van Mander gibt es auch einen Kupferstich von Nicolaes Clock von 1589, der eine ähnliche Komposition aufweist. (13206114) (1) (13) Karel van Mander, 1548 – 1606, attributed THE JUDGEMENT OF MIDAS and THE MUSICAL DUEL OF PAN AND APOLLO Oil on canvas. Relined. 151 x 189 cm.
GÖTTERVERSAMMLUNG AM OLYMPÖl auf Kupfer. 65,5 x 44,7 cm. Beigegeben Expertise von Dr. Klaus Ertz, Lingen, 9. Februar 2022. Danach sei das Gemälde um 1600 entstanden. Der Maler ist in der Kunstwissenschaft weit mehr durch sein literarisches Werk in Erinnerung geblieben, in dem er Künstlerbiographien seiner Kollegen um 1600 der Nachwelt hinterlassen hat, als durch sein eigenes bedeutendes malerisches Werk. Dabei ist gerade dieses von hohem Interesse, zählt der Maler doch zu den wichtigen Manieristen seiner Zeit und Umgebung. Als Schüler eines gewissen Malers und Dichters Lucas de Heere (1534-1584), wandte sich auch van Mander beiden Kunstbereichen zu und verfasste auch er Gedichte und Theaterstücke. 1573 in Florenz und Terni, übernahm er Freskenaufträge. Vor allem aber traf er in Rom auf Bartholomäus Spranger (1546-1611), jenen bedeutenden Manieristen, der seine Malerei wesentlich beeinflussen sollte. Die Darstellung geht auf den antik-griechischen Mythos zurück. Danach befahl Zeus eine Zusammenkunft aller Götter auf dem Olymp, um Beratung abzuhalten. Dreiteilig ist hier der Bildaufbau gegliedert: in der oberen Wolkenzone reitet Zeus, sein Blitzbündel in der Hand, auf dem Adler, seinem Attributtier. Rechts ist hier seine Gemahlin Juno auf einem von Pfauen gezogenen Wagen zu sehen. Im Mittelgrund erhebt sich in blauer Luftperspektive der Parnass, jener Berg, der Sitz des Gottes Apollo mit seinen Musen ist. Darunter erwartet ein langer gedeckter Tisch die Ankunft der weiteren Götter. Saturn, der Zeitgott sitzt bereits an der linken Schmalseite mit seiner Sense. Die sämtlichen weiteren herannahenden Götter sind auf grünen Hügeln und Senken gezeigt, wie etwa Mars, der mit Schild und Speer im Zentrum sitzt, während er gleichzeitig am rechten Bildrand zusammen mit Venus Ehebruch begeht. Links reitet Bachus auf einem Fass, getragen von Faunen, die Jagdgöttin Diana zieht mit ihren Begleiterinnen den Hügel herab, und rechts ist Daphne zu sehen, die soeben in einen Lorbeerbaum verwandelt wird. In großem Gefolge erscheint Neptun, mit Krone, in Begleitung von Tritonen. Selbst aus der Unterwelt kommt der Wagen des Pluto zur Versammlung, wie links unten in dem Felsenbogen zu sehen. Die Landschaftselemente im Bild zeigen die Orientierung an Werken von Gillis van Coninxloo, die Auffassung des Berges im Hintergrund erinnert an Jacopo Zucchi, der in Florenz tätig war. Die manieristischen Stilelemente zeigen sich hier in den leicht überlängten Figuren, den Körperdrehungen, aber auch in den aus sich selbst leuchtenden Farben, die hier im Bild besonders gut erhalten sind. A.R. (13006622) Karel van Mander, 1548 Meulebeke - 1606 Amsterdam ASSEMBLY OF THE GODS ON MOUNT OLYMPUS Oil on copper. 65.5 x 44.7 cm. Accompanied by an expert’s report by Dr Klaus Ertz, Lingen, 9 February 2022, according to which the painting was created in ca. 1600.
Karel van Mander (Attr.), the Infanticide in Bethlehem, oil on canvas, Late 16thC, 118 x 190 cm The Biblical Story: King Herod heard from the wise men from the east that a king of the Jews was about to be born. The wise men said they were led by a star. Herod ordered the wise men to find the child and inform him so that he too might pay tribute. The wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod on the night they visited the baby Jesus. They returned to their country by a different route. When Herod saw that he had been misled by the wise men from the east, he sent men to kill all the boys two years old and younger. Biogaphy: Karel van Mander (Meulebeke, Flanders 1548 - Amsterdam, 1606) was one of the most important painters and theoreticians who introduced Romanism and Mannerism to the Low Countries. Around 1573 Van Mander left for Italy. He worked in Florence with Vasari on the dome fresco of the Duomo and in Terni he painted in the Palazzo Spada. He then settled in Rome for more than three years. There he befriended Bartholomeus Spranger and was influenced by him. In 1577 he accepted the retreat. He carried out another assignment in the cemetery of Krems an der Donau and with his compatriot Hans Mont he made triumphal arches for the entry of Emperor Rudolf II into Vienna. The reformist Van Mander settled in Haarlem in 1583. He would live and work there for twenty years. He had an 'academy' there with Cornelis van Haarlem and Hendrick Goltzius, presumably a small study club where naked models were drawn, which was actually forbidden at the time. Van Mander had brought this practice from Italy and introduced it to the Netherlands for the first time, although female nude models remained taboo in both countries. The education of the academy was aimed at fellow art lovers who wanted to practice after the male model outside the guild. They also exchanged their views on art, mainly on Mannerism. Descriptif: The painting 'The Infanticide at Bethlehem' is a fine example of romanism and mannerism. The allegorical figure in the front left calls us to witness this drama and introduces us to the tragic and gruesome story of infanticide. The mobility of horses and riders, the chaos and panic that arise among the mothers who want to secure their children are translated in the global composition with composition schemes that are typical of the Florentine High Renaissance: triangular and circular compositions, diagonal construction, rhythmic and contrasting use of colour indebted to Giorgio Vasari, Guido Reni and Paolo Veronese. Surprising raccourci's (shortened perspectives), dramatic expression and the bravado of gesture, psychology and the schemes of moving lines and tonalized use of colour nevertheless bring a balance to this unrest and chaos. The painting closes on the right with a crouching man with a child on his lap, who is hiding behind a rock. There are only some thirty paintings that can be attributed to Karel Van Mander, so this painting is quite rare. The horizontal register (1/3 figures and 2/3 landscape and sky) and the monumental size of the painting(1.90 x 118 cm) and the moderate mannerism of certain figures can be found back in similar paintings by Van Mander (The Generosity of Scipio, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and The dance around the golden calf, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem).
4to: [16]-22-[2], [4]-213-[3], [8]-122-[10] ff. (occasional marginal dampstaining, some minor soiling or spotting). - 2nd ed. (1st 1604) of a landmark in art history and theory, written by the "Dutch Vasari", mannerist painter, poet and essayist Karel van Mander (1548-1606). It deals with art theory, gives a commentary on the use of Ovid’s Metamorphoses and presents a large-scale biographical history of Western painting. With verses in memory of Van Mander, by P. Scriverius, Z. Heyns, G.A. Bredero and others. The second work consists of an iconology of the Greek and Roman gods and mythological figures as represented in Ovid’s "Metamorphoses", and of a survey of ancient, esp. Egyptian symbols. Engr. title and full-page author’s portrait by N. Lastman. Woodcut marks on part titles. Printed in 2 col., in Gothic type. - Extra-illustrated copy with 85 engravings: 68 portraits from Hendrick Hondius’ "Pictorum aliquot celebrium praecipue Germaniae Inferioris effigies" (incl. Van Eyck, Van der Weyden, Dürer, Bosch, Holbein, Bruegel, Floris, Vredeman de Vries - Van Mander’s portrait bound at the beginning of his biography at the end of the book); various additional portraits of i.a. Raphael and Savery, by Meyssens, W. Hollar, J. Suyderhoef; a topographical engr. of Heemskerk, and sm. engr. medallion portraits by Hollar of S. Beham and his wife Anna; the engr. title, allegorical front. and Latin poem of Hondius’ series is also bound with. The commentary on Ovid ill. with 7 mythological engr. by J. Matham after H. Goltzius (numbered 1, 2, 6, 3, 5, 4, 7). - Ref. BB IV:46:M-104. - STCN. - Simoni (BL) M-22. - Arntzen & Rainwater H69.
Karel Van Mander (1548-1606), attr. à, La Terre, c.1586, plume et lavis d'encre grise, marque de collection, 16,8x12,5 cm Karel Van Mander (1548-1606), attr. à, La Terre, c.1586, plume et lavis d'encre grise, marque de collection "Omnia cum deo" de A.O. Meyer (l. 1994), annoté "J. v. M." au verso et "8" sur la feuille de montage, 16,8x12,5 cmProvenance: Collection Arnold Otto Meyer (1825-1913), commerçant, Hambourg, Vente C. G. Boerner, Leipzig, 19-20 mars 1914
When the ham is finished, the bare legs must be thrown away, after a proverb painting of Karel van Mander, engraved by the school of Hendrick Goltzius, published in Haarlem 1590-1594. New Hollstein Dutch 100 1(3) . In good condition missing the text below. Image is complete. Good dark impression. Dutch Proverb "Als het hammetje op is, dan moet men de kale beenen wegslingeren".
DAVID UND ABIGAIL Öl auf Leinwand. 60 x 127 cm. Dem Gemälde ist ein Gutachten von Dr. Klaus Ertz, Lingen, vom 23. Mai 2015 beigegeben (sowohl handschriftlich als auch in Maschinenschrift). Die Begutachtung folgt einer früheren Expertise von Roberto Longhi, Florenz vom 22. Oktober 1969. Die Bilddarstellung zeigt die Szene nach dem ersten Buch Samuel, Kapitel 22 des Alten Testamtens, nach dem der damals noch als Heerführer herumziehende David der jungen schönen Abigail, Tochter des Nabal begebnet. David hatte mit seinen Kriegern die Herden des Nabal lange beschützt, wurden von dem Rind- und Viehbesitzer jedoch nicht zur Speise eingeladen, was David so erzürnte, dass er sich an ihm rächen wollte. Heimlich hat sich Nabals Tochter Abigail aufgemacht und ist mit ihrem Gefolge David entgegengetreten, mit Speisen und Getränken, um ihn zu beschwichtigen und die Rache von ihrem Vater abzuwenden. Die Szenerie ist vielfigurig angelegt: Im Zentrum David mit Helm zu Pferde, umgeben von weiteren Reitern und geharnischten Soldaten mit Waffen, Lanzen und Fahne, wie sie aus einer dunklen Höhlenöffnung von rechts hervorziehen. Links in milderer welliger Hügellandschaft Abigail mit ihrem Gefolge, vor ihr die Speisen und Getränke. Das betont extreme Breitformat lässt auf einen Werkauftrag für eine Supraporte schließen. Im Werk des Karel van Mander finden sich jedoch noch einige weitere Bilddarstellungen des Neuen Testaments, wie etwa „Der Sieg Davids“, „Tanz um das goldene Kalb“ (Frans Hals Museum) oder „Überquerung des Jordans“ (Boymans-Beuningen Museum). Auffallend ist, dass sämtliche dieser themenverwandten Bilder in den nahezu selben Abmessungen geschaffen wurden, was darauf schließen lässt, dass es ich möglicherweise um eine ehemals zusammengehörige Raumausstattung gehandelt haben könnte. (1241421) (11)
Series including title engraving and twelve numbered plates (1-12) on thirteen. Very nice group engraved by Jacob de Gheyn II and his pupil Zacharias Dolendo (1561-1600) after designs by Karel van Mander (1548-1606). Title engraving : (Christ in the winepress; oval scene within a sculptural framework with four putti holding the instruments of torture) Lettered below left "KVMand inuen," and at right "DGheyn sc, et exc". In plaque above "ESA, 63" and in cartouche "Torcular ... metum". In cartouche below four lines "Ille hominum ... dedit" by "HGrotius". These are first states with the publishers address of DGeyn.
Oil on oak panel. 53.5 x 125 cm. Karel van Mander was an important Dutch painter who studied under Lucas de Heere in Ghent. He was also a translator and poet – he compiled a valuable dictionary of painters, including contemporary artists. From 1573 to 1577 van Mander lived in Rome, where he met with Bartholomeus Spranger, then in 1583, he moved to Haarlem, where he founded a school of painting together with Hendrik Goltzius and Cornelis Cornelisz. Karel van Mander introduced his many students, among them Frans Hals, to Italian Mannerism, which may be how it reached the court of Rudolf II in Prague. From 1604, Mander lived in Amsterdam.
Karel van Mander (1548-1606), Follower Sermon of St. John the Baptist Oil / Board, probably 17th c. 59 x 105 cm, frame: 85 x 128 cm Provenance: Van Ham, Auction 249, 29.06.2006, Lot 1376
/ Around 1600 / Oil on oak panel / 61 x 118 cm This story by the Roman historian Livy resurrected during the Renaissance became one of the most well-known examples of nobility and generosity and a popular subject in literature and art. The story described the Roman General Scipio Africanus, who after conquering Cartagena during the Second Punic War returned a young woman he had received as a prize of war to her fiancé, along with the money that had been offered by her parents to ransom her. In the painting depicting this scene, Van Mander applied bold colors in superb contrast to the landscape in the background. A Flemish painter active in Italy and Haarlem, Holland, Karel van Mander helped established an academy of draftsmanship that extended the tradition of Mannerism into the 17th century. His highly acclaimed "Schilder-boeck" from 1604 remains a primary resource for the study of old Netherlandisch painting. Van Mander's student was Frans Hals. Restored. Expert assessment by Klaus Ertz.
Mander, K. van (1548-1606) (after). The Wedding with Sarah. The Cure. The Departure of the Angel. Three (of 5) engravings of the series The Story of Tobias, engr. by J. DE GHEYN II, publ. by Joos de Bosscher or R. Baudous. - All tipped onto later mounts, sl. creased in corners; first engraving sm. stains in lower part. = New Hollstein (van Mander) 43-45, 1st or 2nd state of 2; New Hollstein (De Gheyn Family) 461-463, 1st or 2nd state of 2. AND 6 engravings by C.J. VISSCHER after M. VOS (5x) and M. HEEMSKERCK, all biblical scenes.
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Mander, K. van (1548-1606) (after). The Passion. Six (of 14) engravings of the series by J. DE GHEYN II, 1596-1598. - Trimmed on/ outside the border line, plate 11 w. broad margins; plate 10 w. sm. hole near upper edge; a few sm. stains. = No. 2, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 13 of the series. Hollstein (Van Mander) 58, 63, 64, 66 and 69, all first state of 2; Hollstein 67, 2nd state of 2.
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École hollandaise du XVIIesiècle, entourage de Karel Van MANDER (Courtrai 1548-Amsterdam 1606) Repos pendant la fuite en Égypte Plume et encre brune sur traits de crayon noir, lavis brun 26,5 x 24cm Petites déchirures sur les bords
Circle of KAREL VAN MANDER(Flemish 1548-1606) Christ on the Way to Calvary with Fortified City in the Distance Oil on wood panel Unsigned, verso with partial Royal Coat of Arms and exhibition label from the Mint Museum, Charlotte North Carolina 14.5 inches x 17.5 inches (37 x 44.5 cm)
Moses strikes water from the rock (circa 1590) - Oil on panel, 41.6 x 78 cm - Provenance: Private collection, the Netherlands - Literature: Prof. dr. E.K.J. Reznicek, Oud Holland, 1975, page 112-113, footnote 33, ill. 10-11
Mander, K. van (1548-1606) (after). Poverty is easier to bear than luxury. Engraving from the series of Six Proverbs, 21,7x16,9 cm. - Trimmed just outside the borderline (w. loss of engraved caption below); partly laid down on mount; with large tear in upper part of the image and several restored/ renewed sections in lower corners. = Hollstein (Van Mander) 99, undescribed state, with the number and several lines in the foreground removed. Attributed to the Workshop of Goltizus by Hollstein, but according to the website of the British Museum engraved by Nicolaes Braeu.
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Apr. 11, 2013
Est: -
Circle of Karel van Mander (Meulebeke 1548-1606 Amsterdam) Saint John the Baptist preaching to a multitude oil on panel 25 1/8 x 37 7/8 in. (63.9 x 96.2 cm.)
Karel van Mander Meulebeke, 1548 - Amsterdam, 1616 Allégorie du Printemps Plume et encre brune, lavis gris sur traits de crayon noir Monogrammé 'KM' en bas à gauche et paraphe 'AVB' sous une croix en bas à droite 'ALLEGORY OF SPRING', PEN AND BROWN INK, GREY WASH, BLACK CHALK, BY KAREL VAN MANDER h: 17,20 w: 16,10 cm Commentaire : Mander rencontre Vasari à Rome en 1573. Il prend exemple sur son glorieux prédécesseur et sera le premier à conter la vie des artistes nordiques. De retour d'Italie en 1578, il s'installe à Haarlem où son style maniériste, proche de Spranger, évolue vers le baroque. Nous pouvons rapprocher stylistiquement notre dessin d'une feuille du Louvre signée (inv. 20047, Fig. 1), ainsi que de cinq dessins de l'Albertina (voir O. Benesch, 'Die Zeichnungen der Niederlandischen Schulen des XV. und XVI. Jahrhunderts', Vienne, 1928, n°360-365)
KAREL VAN MANDER THE ELDER MEULEBEKE NEAR COURTRAI 1548 - 1606 AMSTERDAM 'WHEN YOUR PLATE IS EMPTY, YOU EAT BONES NOT BACON' Pen and brown ink and gray wash heightened with white (partly oxidized) over traces of black chalk, within a drawn frame; monogrammed in black chalk: K v M , and inscribed in brown ink: Een ydel buydel maecket hert t'onvreden / den tyt voorleden, moeten wy beclaghen / doen wy van het speck al te diepe sneden / t hammegen is op wij t hieltgen knaghen. 255 by 173 mm; 10 by 6 3/4 in
Pen and brown and grey ink; signed with monogram and dated in brown ink, lower centre: KVM Juny 1596 , and numbered, upper right: N o 42 ; bears attribution and date in pencil : Passarotti 1656 11
Das Urteil des Paris. Nicolaes Clock zugeschriebener Kupferstich nach K. van Mander um 1589. New Hollst. 143. - Mit dem Namenszug in der Platte. Wasserzeichen: Kleines bekröntes Fleur-de-Lis-Wappen. 18,8 x 25,4 cm. Mit kleinem Rändchen. Am Oberrand minimal gebräunt sowie mit leichten vertikalen Papierquetschfalten. Klarer kräftiger Abdruck. [ms]
PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF P.R.W. MCKERGOW ESQ. THE CRUCIFIXION measurements note 67 by 117.5 cm.; 26 1/2 by 46 1/4 in. signed and dated lower centre: Kvmander/1599 (KvM in monogram) oil on oak panel PROVENANCE Possibly Jan Pietersz. van Gils; His sale, Delft, 5 March 1622, lot 1, where estimated at 200 Guilders; Possibly Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem (1562-1638), Haarlem, in whose 6th will, dated 20 November 1631 there is a bequest to Cornelisz Claesz. van Wieringen (c.1575-1633) "synen goeden vrunt , ... er een stuck schilderiye wesende een Crucifix gemaect by Mr Karel Vermander" ("his good friend, [bequeathed] to him one painting being a Crucifixion made by Karel van Mander"); Estate of Cornelis Cornelisz. van Harleem, Haarlem, deceased, Inventory 2 March 1639, inv. no. 1: "Het wel geordineerde kruis van Karel Vermander"; Possibly Gerard Uylenburg, Amsterdam, Inventory 1674, inv. no. 111: "Een cruysie van Carel ver Mander", estimated at 60 Florins; Probably acquired by Robert McKergow, Dunkeld House, Burgess Hill, between 1870 and his death in 1897; By descent to his son Lieutentant Colonel R.W. McKergow (died 1947), Twineham Grange, Sussex; By descent to his son P.R.W. McKergow, Risby Manor, Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk. LITERATURE (Possibly) Archiefdienst voor Kennemerland, Haarlem, W. van Triere 102, fol. 147r-147r, dated 20/11/1631; (Possibly) Archiefdienst voor Kennemerland, Haarlem, restant Enschede, box 46, temporary number XVII- 564; A. Bredius (ed.), Künstlerinventare-Urkunden zur Geschichte der Holländischen Kunst des 16., 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts, The Hague 1918-21, vol. V (1918), pp. 1670, 1751, vol. VII (1921), Appendix, pp. 77 and 93; E.K.J. Reznicek, "Der Kalvarienberg im Schnee", in G. Kauffmann (ed.), Die Kunst des 16. Jahrhunderts. Propyläen Kunstgeschichte, vol. VIII, Berlin 1970, pp. 201-202, reproduced fig. 87; E.K.J. Reznicek, "Het leerdicht van Karel van Mander en de acribie van Hessel Miedema", in Oud Holland, vol. 89, 1975, p. 112, note 33; Possibly S.A.C. Dudok van Heel, "Het schilderhuis van Govaert Flinck en de kunsthandel van Uylenburgh aan den Lauriergracht te Amsterdam", in Jaarboek Amstelodamum, vol. 74, Amsterdam 1982, p. 85; C. ter Haar, "Das Goldene Zeitalter der Literatur in den Niederlanden", in Propyläen Geschichte der Literatur, vol. 3, reproduced p. 383; M. Leesberg, "Karel van Mander as a Painter", in Simiolus. Netherlands quarterly from the history of art, vol. 22, 1993/94, no. 1-2, p. 50, no. 18, p. 28, reproduced fig. 16; H. Miedema (ed.), Karel Van Mander: The Lives of the Illustrious Netherlandish and German Painters, Doornspijk 1995, vol. II, Appendix, p. 109, cat. no. P14, reproduced, and possibly p. 76; Possibly P.J.J. van Thiel, Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem 1562-1638- a Monograph and Catalogue Raisonné, Doornspijk 1999, pp. 44, 51, 247, 258 (all are references to a Crucifixion by Van Mander; not necessarily the present work). NOTE Karel van Mander was an art theorist and historian, playwright and poet as well as a painter and draftsman. He is best known to us today for his Het Schilderboeck published in Haarlem in 1604. Modelled on Vasari's Lives of the Artists, it remains today the prime source of information about the lives of the artists of his time and before in The Netherlands, as well as providing a fascinating insight into Van Mander's own views on the theory and practice of painting. He is less well-known to us as a painter, although he was one of the leading artists in Haarlem in the years around 1600, well before it ceded to Amsterdam its reputation as the leading centre for painting and drawing in The Netherlands. He was a close contemporary of both Goltzius and Cornelis van Haarlem, and his paintings and drawings share their Mannerist exuberance in the use of line and colour. Like Spranger, whom he had met in Rome, Van Mander, who subsequently worked in Switzerland and Austria was an important conduit for Mannerist ideas into The Netherlands, where the style first took root in Haarlem. The rarity of Van Mander's paintings, and his fame as an historian of art, explain why he is so little known as a painter. He was more prolific as a draftsman, and his designs are far better known from engravings made from his drawings than from his paintings. As with so much of the art produced around 1600 in Holland, this picture is a synthesis of earlier, predominantly Flemish traditions, and new ideas. Van Mander will have known Pieter Bruegel the Elder's depiction of the Crucifixion, in which the event is shown in the distance, on top of the hill of Calvary, and he would have been well versed in the Bruegelian tradition of depicting New Testament events such as the Census at Bethlehem, the Nativity and the Massacre of the Innocents in a snowy Netherlandish winter. Van Mander loosely based the present composition from an engraving of this subject made in 1517 by Lucas van Leyden (B.17; see fig. 1). We know he admired this engraving, since he singled it out in his biography of Lucas as one of his finest.1 The idea is broadly similar: scattered groups of diverse figures: soldiers, hawkers and tradesmen, beggars and the well-off; are assembled across a broad hillside, with the eye led up to the Crucifixion in the distance on top of the hill. However, in adapting Lucas' compositional idea for his painting, Van Mander borrowed no part of it.2 Entirely original too is the dark brooding atmosphere, with dark clouds gathering in the distance immediately behind the Crucifixion, and a strong wind blowing across the foreground from left to right. So dark is the sky that it is in fact impossible to say whether the scene is set at night or by day. Van Mander probably had in mind the description of the Crucifixion of Christ in the Gospel of Saint Luke, Chapter 23, verses 44-5: "And it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst" (St. Mark's description is similar). The rending of the veil of the temple may be implied by the explosion of dark cloud or smoke emerging from behind Calvary, where Van Mander has situated the town of Jerusalem. The menacing, stormy dark mise-en-scène of this picture is most unusual in the work of Van Mander (though something similar is to be found in his Christ carrying the Cross, in a private collection in Vienna),3 whose pictures are usually full of strong colours. The figure group to the lower left is the most conventional part of the picture, and the most typical of the artist. The group of six figures in the centre foreground, including the quacksalver, the ratcatcher and the very flamboyantly dressed youth, together with the stonemason beyond them, are painted in soft colours reminiscent of watercolour. They are most unusual for Van Mander, and one might ask if in their colour and their delicate precise draftsmanship, Van Mander might not have been influenced by the drawings of Jacques de Gheyn. Emil Reznicek has suggested that Van Mander might also have been inspired by Jan Brueghel the Elder's Calvary now in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich, which was painted one year earlier in 1598.4 It is not that likely that Van Mander would have known Jan Brueghel's composition, which is only generically similar to his own, and it is more likely that both artists were seeking ways to bring up to date a traditional manner of depicting the subject. Reznicek also suggested that a drawing by Van Mander of two figures, in the Amsterdam Historisch Museum, Fodor collection, should be a study for the women in the lower left corner of the present painting. They seem however, to be unrelated. Van Mander records in his autobiography that he portrayed himself and Hendrick Goltzius in a Crucifixion: "een Cruycinghe Christi/daer hy/ ende Goltzius nae't leven in zijn ghedaen/ en is sonderlinghe net en suphertjes ghehandelt" ("a Crucifixion of Christ in which he and Goltzius are portrayed from life, an exceptionally delicate and purely painted work").5 There are no obvious portraits in the present work, nor are there any likenesses of Van Mander or Goltzius. The picture referred to by Van Mander must be another, which suggests that he painted at least two, and this means that early references to Crucifixions in the wills and inventories of Van Gils, Cornelis van Haarlem, Uylenburgh etc., cannot be assumed to refer to the present painting. 1. Cited by Leesberg, under Literature, p. 28; see Miedema's edited Van Mander under Literature, vol. I, pp. 108-9, fol. 212v. 2. Leesberg claims that Van Mander took the cripple directly from Lucas van Leyden's print, but the figures are quite different. 3. See E.K. Grootes, "Anacht voor Van Mander", in Oud Holland, vol. 89, 1975, reproduced fig. 3. 4. See Reznicek, under Literature, 1970. 5. See Miedema, op. cit., vol. I, pp. 26-7, fol. S2r.
f - KAREL VAN MANDER THE ELDER MEULEBEKE NEAR COURTRAI 1548 - 1606 AMSTERDAM THE ANGEL APPEARING TO JOSEPH IN A DREAM (MATTHEW, 1:18-25) pen and brown ink and blue-grey wash; the bottom right corner made up LITERATURE AND REFERENCES E.K.J. Reznicek, 'Een en ander over Van Mander,' Oud Holland, vol. 107, no. 1 (1993), pp. 80-2, reproduced fig. 12 CATALOGUE NOTE Reznicek suggested (loc. cit.) that this drawing must be a preparatory study by Van Mander for a painting, although no such painting is now known. Stylistically, Professor Reznicek associated the drawing with the depictions of the Passion, in Rotterdam, and a drawing of The Preaching of St. John the Baptist, in the Albertina, Vienna. Those drawings can be dated 1596 and 1597 respectively, indicating that this is also a late work by the artist. The subject of this drawing is one that is rarely represented. In the Biblical text, we read that the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in his dream, and told him that the Holy Spirit had entered into Mary his wife, who would bear him a son, and that Joseph should not be angry, but should look after her. The angel also told Joseph to name the child Jesus. Although the subject was occasionally depicted in northern art during the seventeenth century, Reznicek noted that he had not found any earlier examples, and that it therefore seems likely that this drawing is the earliest representation of The Dream of Joseph by a Netherlandish artist.
Early 17th Century, by Franciscus Spierinckx, after Karl van Mander, Depicting a scene from Orlando Furioso, with a knight on horseback to the left, and a maiden being clad in armour and a kneeling maiden before her to the right, before a fountain surmounted by Cupid, the central vista with a battle scene flanked by forests and before a hilly landscape, within a thin lappeted border, with weaver's signature FRANCISCUS. SPIRINGIUS. FECIT to the center, within a later green border, minor heightening with color particularly to the lower right edge of the main field 128in. (325cm.) high, 180in. (457cm.) wide NOTES SUBJECT This tapestry depicts a scene from Ludovico Ariosto's (1474-1533) epic poem Orlando Furioso . Ariosto commenced his work in 1505 and continued to revise and refine it for the rest of his life. The poem is a continuation of Boiardo's Orlando Innamorato and narrates the hero's passion for Angelica, the war between Christians and pagans near Paris and a secondary love story of Ruggiero and Bradamante. WEAVER Frans Spierinckx (Spiering, Spierings, Spierinck) (d. 1630) left Antwerp when it fell to the Spanish troops in 1576. He settled in Delft in the 1580's or 90's and established his atelier in the former Agnes convent where he soon enjoyed great success, particularly with English patrons. Among his commissions was that of Lord Charles Howard in 1592, for a set of ten tapestries depicting the victories of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada of 1588, while Sir Walter Raleigh commissioned a set of twelve 'Diana' tapestries. His workshop grew rapidly to 40 skilled employees who executed numerous prestigious private and government commissions until about 1626. HISTORY OF THE SERIES AND DESIGNER The earliest surviving tapestries from the Orlando Furioso series by Spierinckx are dated 1602 (D. Heinz, Europ„ische Tapisseriekunst des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts, Vienna, 1995, fig. 41 and p. 105). Further sets were given to Prince Philipp Wilhelm of Orange by the city of Breda in 1609, to English ambassadors by the States-General in 1620 and four tapestries are listed among the purchases of the Swedish crown in 1621. Karel van Mander (1548 - 1606), who founded the Academy of Haarlem in 1583, is mentioned as the author of the series. The academy was influenced by Italian artists, a fact which becomes evident in the elongated figures with exaggerated postures as well as the elaborate execution of the dress and jewelry in the designs of his tapestries. A tapestry from the same series was sold anonymously at Christie's New York, 19 May 1988, lot 247, and two further panels with a wider and more elaborate border from the collection of Irene, Countess of Plymouth, were sold at Sotheby's London 13 December 1991, lots 6 and 7.
Early 17th Century, by Franciscus Spierinckx, after Karl van Mander Depicting a scene from Orlando Furioso, with a knight on horseback to the left, and a maiden being clad in armour and a kneeling maiden before her to the right, before a fountain surmounted by Cupid, the central vista with a battle scene flanked by forests and before a hilly landscape, within a thin lappeted border, with weaver's signature FRANCISCUS. SPIRINGIUS. FECIT to the center, within a later green border, minor heightening with color particularly to the lower right edge of the main field 128in. (325cm.) high, 180in. (457cm.) wide NOTES SUBJECT This tapestry depicts a scene from Ludovico Ariosto's (1474 - 1533) epic poem Orlando Furioso . Ariosto commenced his work in 1505 and continued to revise and refine it for the rest of his life. The poem is a continuation of Boiardo's Orlando Innamorato and narrates the hero's passion for Angelica, the war between Christians and pagans near Paris and a secondary love story of Ruggiero and Bradamante. WEAVER Frans Spierinckx (Spiering, Spierings, Spierinck) (d. 1630) left Antwerp when it fell to the Spanish troops in 1576. He settled in Delft in the 1580's or 90's and established his atelier in the former Agnes convent where he soon enjoyed great success, particularly with English patrons. Among his commissions was that of Lord Charles Howard in 1592, for a set of ten tapestries depicting the victories of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada of 1588, while Sir Walter Raleigh commissioned a set of twelve 'Diana' tapestries. His workshop grew rapidly to 40 skilled employees who executed numerous prestigious private and government commissions until about 1626. HISTORY OF THE SERIES AND DESIGNER The earliest surviving tapestries from the Orlando Furioso series by Spierinckx are dated 1602 (D. Heinz, Europ„ische Tapisseriekunst des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts, Vienna, 1995, fig. 41 and p. 105). Further sets were given to Prince Philipp Wilhelm of Orange by the city of Breda in 1609, to English ambassadors by the States-General in 1620 and four tapestries are listed among the purchases of the Swedish crown in 1621. Karel van Mander (1548 - 1606), who founded the Academy of Haarlem in 1583, is mentioned as the author of the series. The academy was influenced by Italian artists, a fact which becomes evident in the elongated figures with exaggerated postures as well as the elaborate execution of the dress and jewelry in the designs of his tapestries. A tapestry from the same series was sold anonymously at Christie's New York, 19 May 1988, lot 247, and two further panels with a wider and more elaborate border from the collection of Irene, Countess of Plymouth, were sold at Sotheby's London 13 December 1991, lots 6 and 7.
A group of four nude women holding two baskets of flowers signed '.KvM.' and with inscription 'JJ Ken fing f 7800k' ( verso ) black chalk, pen and brown ink, grey wash, in an 18th Century frame 172 x 161 mm. PROVENANCE An unidentified collector's paraph 'AVB' below a cross. NOTES Close in handling to a group of drawings in the Albertina, Vienna (O. Benesch, Die Zeichnungen der Niederl„ndischen Schulen des XV. und XV. Jahrhunderts, Vienna, 1928, nos. 360-5) and to another, also signed, in the Louvre (F. Lugt, MaŒtres des anciens Pays-Bas n‚s avant 1550, Paris, 1968, no. 720).
