Cornelis van Haarlem

• Tantalus, from The Four Disgracers

  Art Institute of Chicago

  Chicago, United States

  8 works

  

  Museum detailsMap
• The Fall of Man (Genesis 3:4-6)

  Musée des Beaux-Arts de Quimper

  Quimper, France

  2 works

  

  Museum detailsMap

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• What is Cornelis van Haarlem known for?+

  Cornelis van Haarlem is known for his large-scale biblical and mythological canvases. These paintings were packed with muscular, contorted nudes. His exaggerated anatomical forms drew criticism in his own time, but they reflect a genuine engagement with Italian Mannerism.
• What is Cornelis van Haarlem's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to identify one single "most famous" work by Cornelis van Haarlem, as fame is subjective and can change over time. However, several of his pieces appear repeatedly in catalogues and collections. Subjects from the bible and classical mythology were common in his output. Titles such as The Last Supper, The Resurrection of Christ, The Rape of Europa, Venus and Adonis, and Venus Frigida appear in some listings of his work. He also produced portraits; for example, one catalogue lists Thomas Howard, Second Count of Arundel. Some of his pieces were allegorical, such as Allegory of Air and Allegory of Fire. Others depicted scenes from everyday life or the natural world, for example, The Return of the Farm Workers from the Fields and Flower Still Life. Without more information, it is hard to determine which of these, if any, could be called his "most famous".
• What should I know about Cornelis van Haarlem's prints?+

  Cornelis van Haarlem (1562-1638) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, draughtsman, and print designer. While he is better known for his paintings, a number of prints were made after his designs, expanding his reach. Many of these prints were produced by Cornelis Cort. Cort was a Dutch engraver, active from about 1565 to 1578, who turned two cycles for Hieronymus Cock into prints. One cycle was The Labours of Hercules, and the other was The Liberal Arts. Prints after Cornelis van Haarlem's work allowed for wider distribution of his artistic ideas. Printmaking at the time was a collaborative process, involving the artist who created the original design and the skilled engravers who translated it into a printable image. The prints offer insight into the artistic trends and popular subjects of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
• What techniques or materials did Cornelis van Haarlem use?+

  Cornelis van Haarlem's techniques and materials were those typical of painters in the Netherlands during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Frans Hals, a contemporary, gradually moved from painting on wood panel to canvas, a trend Cornelis likely followed. Canvas became popular because it was less expensive, easier to transport, and simpler to prepare than wood. However, some artists continued to use wood panels, particularly for smaller works. Hals typically primed his supports with lead white, but he also used chalk glue grounds for some pieces. His palette tended to be limited within individual works, though he varied his colour schemes from painting to painting. Browns and yellows were common in the 1620s and early 1630s, while greys were more prevalent in the 1640s and 1650s. Hals did not use expensive colours such as lapis lazuli or gold leaf. His pigments and binding mediums were readily available and typical for the period.
• What was Cornelis van Haarlem known for?+

  Cornelis van Haarlem (1562-1638) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, principally known for his Mannerist style. He is associated with the Haarlem Mannerists, a group that included Karel van Mander and Hendrick Goltzius. Van Haarlem's early works show the influence of Bartholomeus Spranger. These paintings often feature mythological and biblical subjects, characterised by exaggerated poses and anatomical distortions. He moved away from this Mannerist style later in his career, adopting a more classical approach. His subject matter included portraits, history paintings, and genre scenes. Among his well-known works are "The Massacre of the Innocents^[11]", and several depictions of biblical scenes. He received commissions from the Haarlem city council, including portraits of civic officials and decorations for public buildings. Van Haarlem's work can be found in major museums throughout Europe. He also trained a number of pupils, thereby contributing to the artistic traditions of the Dutch Golden Age.
• When did Cornelis van Haarlem live and work?+

  Cornelis van Haarlem was born in Haarlem in 1562 and died there in 1638. He was a Dutch Golden Age painter, draughtsman and art theorist, and one of the leading Northern Mannerist artists in the Netherlands. Haarlem was a student of Pieter Pietersz the Elder, and later Gillis Coignet in Antwerp. He returned to Haarlem in 1583, where he received commissions from the city council. He remained in Haarlem for the rest of his career, and in 1585 he married Maritgen Arentsdr Deyman. Along with Carel van Mander and Hendrick Goltzius, Cornelis van Haarlem founded an academy in Haarlem. He is known for history paintings, portraits, and especially nudes. He also produced designs for prints that were engraved by Goltzius and Jan Saenredam.
• Where can I see Cornelis van Haarlem's work?+

  Cornelis van Haarlem's paintings are held in several European and North American museum collections. In Haarlem, the Frans Hals Museum possesses a significant collection of his works. These include history paintings, portraits, and his celebrated depiction of the Massacre of the Innocents^[11]. The Musée du Louvre in Paris holds his 1617 painting, The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has a number of his paintings, such as Bathsheba at Her Bath. Other European museums with paintings by Cornelis van Haarlem include the Statens Museum for Kunst (Copenhagen), the Nationalmuseum (Stockholm), the National Gallery (London), the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna), and the Gemäldegalerie (Berlin). In North America, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art holds his painting of Two Followers of Cadmus Devoured by a Dragon. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. has a few paintings, including Venus and Adonis.
• Where was Cornelis van Haarlem from?+

  Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem (1562-1638) was from Haarlem, a city in the Netherlands. Haarlem was a significant artistic centre during the Dutch Golden Age; Cornelis, along with Frans Hals, was one of the artists who helped to establish the city's artistic reputation. Cornelis is known for his history paintings and portraits. According to Carel van Mander, Cornelis preferred history pictures, but he also created several portraits. One example is his 1624 portrait of Andries Pietersz. van Souwen, now at Museum Catharijneconvent, Utrecht. His 1583 civic guard painting is in the Haarlem City Museum. According to one art historian, in the mid-1590s, Cornelis began combining the Italian aesthetic concepts of ritrarre (recording a person’s likeness) with imitare (interpreting the beauty of the countenance).
• Who did Cornelis van Haarlem influence?+

  Cornelis van Haarlem (1562-1638) was part of a community of artists in Haarlem. These artists were in competition for commissions and sales. Frans Hals, Frans Pietersz. de Grebber (1573-1643), Pieter de Grebber (circa 1600-circa 1653), Salomon de Bray (1597-1664), Verspronck, Pieter Soutman (circa 1580-1657), and Jan de Bray (circa 1627-97) all worked as portraitists in Haarlem during Cornelis's career. Cornelis, according to art historian Riegl, raised the level of ambition of his fellow painters in Haarlem. He provided other artists in Holland with a source for the figure. They relied on his nudes, rather than on live models. Riegl notes that Cornelisz's civic guard group portrait, dated 1583, gives a new perspective on Cornelisz, both as a painter of group portraiture and as the Romanist specialist in history painting for which he is more generally known.
• Who influenced Cornelis van Haarlem?+

  Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, a painter working in Haarlem during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, absorbed influences from various sources. He is known to have been familiar with the artistic philosophies of his fellow townsmen Karel van Mander and Hendrick Goltzius. These three artists, including Cornelis, returned from abroad with a new appreciation for painting as a liberal art. They sought to elevate the status of painters from mere artisans to recognised artists in the Northern Netherlands. Cornelis's early work, such as his 1583 civic guard group portrait, reveals a unique perspective on his abilities as both a group portraitist and a history painter. His focus on formal, physical aspects in his works allowed him to raise the level of ambition among his fellow painters in Haarlem. Other artists in Holland relied on his nudes, rather than on live models, as their source for the figure.
• Who was Cornelis van Haarlem?+

  Cornelis van Haarlem (1562-1638) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He is known for his Mannerist style, characterised by exaggerated forms and dramatic compositions. Born in Haarlem, he studied with Pieter Pietersz the Elder and later with Dirck Barendsz. A trip to France further shaped his artistic development, although he never visited Italy, the centre of the Mannerist movement. Van Haarlem received several important commissions in Haarlem. He contributed significantly to the decoration of the Haarlem City Hall, producing history paintings. With Karel van Mander and Hendrick Goltzius, he founded an academy in Haarlem. This workshop promoted Mannerist ideals and techniques. His pupils included Jan van Ravesteyn and Salomon de Bray. His subject matter ranged from religious scenes to mythological narratives and portraits. "The Massacre of the Innocents^[11]" and "The Fall of Man^[10]" are examples of his dramatic history paintings. He also painted militia group portraits, a popular genre in the Netherlands. Van Haarlem's work represents a significant phase in Dutch art, bridging late Mannerism and the early Baroque.
• Why are Cornelis van Haarlem's works important today?+

  Cornelis van Haarlem (1562-1638) was a Dutch Golden Age painter from Haarlem. Although Karel van Mander said Cornelis preferred history paintings, he also made "distinguished, beautiful portraits". His importance lies partly in his contribution to the development of group portraiture in Holland. He worked to find universally applicable solutions to problems affecting Holland's artistic direction. Haarlem painters, unlike those in Amsterdam, focused on formal, physical aspects. They were interested in emotions that bonded people and were expressed through physical gestures. Cornelis's early civic guard painting (1583) at the Haarlem City Museum is unique. Van Mander verified the date and described the work with enthusiasm. The painting provides a new perspective on Cornelisz, both as a painter of group portraiture and as a Romanist specialist in history painting. By the mid-1590s, Cornelis combined Italian aesthetic concepts of ritrarre (recording a person’s likeness) with imitare (interpreting the beauty of the countenance). He crafted stylised depictions that were both flattering and timeless. His 1624 portrait of Andries Pietersz. van Souwen shows a cleric with rhetorical gestures.