Haarlem Academy

The flourishing economy of Haarlem and the religious tolerance which prevailed after the withdrawal of Spanish troops in 1576 attracted many refugees, particularly from what is now Belgium, and fostered a great cultural flowering. In 1583 Carel van Mander, a Flemish painter, came to Haarlem and, influenced by his study of Italian Renaissance art, developed the practice of painting large pictures on Biblical and historical themes, based on a profound knowledge of anatomy. With Hendrick Goltzius and Cornelis Cornelisz he founded the "Haarlem Academy", which marks the high point of Dutch Mannerism. Of particular significance in this respect were the allegorical and mythological figures in rather contrived postures painted by Cornelisz,