Written by the poet-painter Karel van Mander, who finished it in June 1603, the
Grondt der edel, vry schilderconst
(Foundation of the Noble, Free Art of Painting) was the first systematic treatise on
schilderconst
(the art of painting / picturing) to be published in Dutch (Haarlem: Paschier van Wes[t]busch, 1604). This English-language edition of the
Grondt
, accompanied by an introductory monograph and a full critical apparatus, provides unprecedented access to Van Mander’s crucially important art treatise. The book sheds light on key terms and critical categories such as
schilder
,
manier
uyt zijn selven doen
welstandt
leven
and
gheest
, and
wel schilderen
, and both exemplifies and explicates the author’s distinctive views on the complementary forms and functions of history and landscape.