Bodybuilders in Haarlem. Startling Aspects of Cornelis van Haarlem’s Art

Cornelis van Haarlem was born in 1562 and died in 1638. He was one of the top Dutch painters during the years 1583-1599. That is clear from the prestigious commissions he obtained. He had many pupils and belonged to various associations. The inventive and experimental painter was eventually the victim of the canon of Dutch art (landscape, still-life and genre scenes). He was shunned for a long time as ‘too international’, which is exactly what he had tried so hard to become.