A Study On Karel Van Mander And His Schilder-boeck

Karel von Mander's Schihter-Boeck is another bio-bibliography followingVasari's Lives. And it is also the first literature which can comprehensively deal withthe lives and the arts of those Italian, Netherlandish and German artists during theperiod of Renaissance. It first of all covers the theories concerning the art of paintingwhich Mander gives the title Grondt der Edel Vry Schilderconst. And then it specifiesart connoisseurship, bibliographical writings, collections and art marketing besidesthe lives and arts of the artists. It is a canon with painting encyclopedia nature.This thesis adopts the studies of philological editions as the main researchmethodology to summarize the characteristics of Schilder-Boeck and thecontributions of Mander through the comparison and the command of relativeeditions. With case studies and comparative researches, this thesis intends to probeinto the similarities and differences in terms of the ways of writing bio-bibliographies,kernel art concepts and critique tastes in Mander's Schilder-Boeck and Vasari's Livesso as to reveal and evaluate comprehensively the historical status and influence ofSchilder-Boeck.The thesis is composed of five chapters:Chapterâ… summarizes Karel von Mander's life, art and writings, the emphasisof which lies in the introductions of the contents of the two editions ( 1604, 1618) ofSchilder-Boeck.Chapterâ…¡analyzes comprehensively the similarities and differences ofSchilder-Boeck and Lives in terms of backgrounds, purposes and methods of writings,brings forth roughly the historical backgrounds depicted in the two literatures;discusses in priority the diversities in the ways of writings of the two - basically thediverges in art history concepts, ekphrasis and critic terms with historical perspectives;and annotates my comprehension over the terms like aerdighe, disegno, fraey andgrazia, etc..Chapterâ…¢lays the stress on the discussion of a few of Mander's art concepts.First of all, Mander believes that goddess nature - mother of everything - dominatesthe activities of artists. And then, he thinks that imitation is the foundation of learningpainting, sketching being to imitate the great nature while printing making being toimitate the great masters. And thirdly, Mander, whose notion about historic paintingincludes emblem painting, figure painting, and landscape painting, ranks historicpainting as number one, the noblest art.Chapterâ…£reveals Mander's definition on artist, collector and critic and theimage of beautiful female in Schilder-Boeck; analyzes the relation modes among theimages of artist, collector and critic by Mander; and expatiates his depiction andeulogizing over female beauty.Chapterâ…¤further illuminates Mander's historical contributions in respects ofrelic excavation, school managements and education; evaluates synthetically theinfluence of Schilder-Boeck with the complementary analysis of the characteristics ofseveral popular editions of Schilder-Boeck.