Karel van Mander (1548 - 1606) was a Flemish artist and writer who, in his most important work 'Het Schilderboeck' (first published in Haarlem in 1604) chronicled the achievements of many painters that had worked in Flanders and the Netherlands from the15th century until his own day.
He was born in Kortrijk in Flanders but subsequently moved to Haarlem where, with Hendrick Goltzius and Cornelis van Haarlem, he was one of the founders of the movement known as 'Dutch Mannerism'.
His book, which was intended as a teaching aid for artists, is an invaluable source of information for modern art historians.