A Life Bridging Mannerism and Dutch Portraiture Cornelis Ketel, born in Gouda, Netherlands in 1548, occupies a fascinating, transitional space within the history of Dutch art. His life unfolded during a period of immense upheaval – religious reformation, political revolt, and shifting artistic tastes – and his career reflects this dynamic era with remarkable adaptability. Initially aspiring to the grandeur of history painting, Ketel ultimately found renown as a portraitist, becoming a pivotal figure in the development of civic group portraits that would come to define the Dutch Golden Age. H…