Karel van Mander

The Museum of National History at Frederiksborg in Denmark has published two new books about the three generations of artists named Karel van Mander. They are volume 3 and 4 in the series 'Studies from The Museum of National History at Frederiksborg'. Volume 3 of the museum's research series is an English language anthology recounting the story of three generations of the van Manders, a Dutch family of artists. In 1604, the Flemish artist, poet and art historian Karel van Mander published Het Schilderboek, a textbook on the subject of art theory and an introduction to the entire history of art from antiquity onwards. The book made a huge impact on Dutch artists of the day and subsequent books on art history.00One of the many artists to be influenced by Karel van Mander the Elder was his own son, Karel van Mander II who became a talented tapestry weaver. In Delft he created a major series of tapestries for King Christian IV of Denmark to decorate Frederiksborg Castle. They illustrated important events from the king's own life, his coronation and episodes from the war against Sweden (1611-13). Following the sudden death of Karel van Mander II, his widow moved to Denmark, where one of their sons, also named Karel van Mander, went on to become a leading pprtrait painter at the court of the king of Denmark. Karel van Mander III found expression in all formats, painting everything from miniatures to full-length, life-size portraits. His models included members of the royal family, prominent nobles, prosperous citizens and scholars and writers of the day, whom he also entertained in his grand house in Østergade.