Willem Key 1516-1568 ─ Portrait of a Humanist Painter

The 16th-century Dutch artist Willem Key was well-known in his time, but his current reputation has suffered due to dubious attributions. This book seeks to determine whether the praise of Key's contemporaries was justified or merely a token of friendship. Part 1 of the book collects all biographical information known on Key, drawing on Dutch and Italian sources written in the 16th century. This section discusses his training, his social milieu, the style of his paintings, and his workshop and documented assistants and pupils. The section concludes with an analysis of his contribution to painting of the period. Part 2, the bulk of the book, offers a catalogue of his work, with each painting shown in color. For each painting, there is information on size and materials, current whereabouts, other versions, and mentions of the painting in print. The entries then describe the background of the particular piece, specific influences seen in the painting, and provide information on attribution and publication over the centuries. A set of b&w illustrations shows paintings by more well-known Dutch masters painted in the style of, or directly copying, Willem Key. An appendix offers a catalogue of the oeuvre of Willem's pupil Adriaen Thomasz. Key, containing several new portraits and history paintings by Adriaen Thomasz. Key that have surfaced since the 2007 publication of Adriaen Thomasz. Key (c.1545-c.1589) Portrait of a Calvinist Painter. The book's bibliography lists archival sources, printed primary sources, edited sources and secondary literature, exhibition catalogues, and collection catalogues. The book has been translated from the Dutch by Katy Kist and Jennifer Kilian. Information on the author is not given. The book distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)