Karel van Mander

The dutch painter Karel van Mander’s father was a painter and a weaver of tapestries. Shortly before his death in 1623, he executed a series of tapestries for Frederiksborg Palace with motives from the Kalmar War for Christian IV. Karel van Mander went to Copenhagen together with his mother in the same year, in order to claim payment for the tapestries.

After a couple of years in Denmark, van Mander returned to Holland where he studied with Rembrandt. Following his next visit to Copenhagen he received support from the King for a study trip to Italy from 1635 to 1638. Van Mander then became court painter for Christian IV.

Karel van Mander was particularly recognised as a painter of portraits. The collection of his paintings in Rosenborg shows his popularity at the Danish Royal Court as it contains portraits of three Danish kings; Christian IV, Frederik III and Christian V. Among the many portraits are the painting of Christian IV on horseback in front of Rosenborg and the portraits of Queen Sophie Amalie and her son Christian (V), as a child.