Keldermans is a family of artists, originating from

Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...

(an independent city surrounded by the

Duchy of Brabant The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Neth ...

). The members of the family were mostly architects working in the Brabantine Gothic style. As the most important architects of their time in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, they defined the Brabantine Gothic style, and their works can still be seen today in cities like

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

, Lier, Middelburg and

Gouda Gouda may refer to: * Gouda, South Holland, a city in the Netherlands ** Gouda (pottery), style of pottery manufactured in Gouda ** Gouda cheese, type of cheese originally made in and around Gouda ** Gouda railway station * Gouda, Western Cape, a s ...

. Anthonis II and Rombout II were court architects for Charles V. Laurens II, last in the line, was influenced by

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

architecture and marked the end of the Gothic period in this region.

Family tree

Name

The actual family name was Van Mansdale. Keldermans (Dutch for ''cellar man'') was a nickname given to Jan I because the family house was nicknamed '' 't Kelderken'' (the cellar). The family was not happy with the nickname and usually continued to sign documents with the name "Van Mansdale".

References

*{{cite encyclopedia , encyclopedia=Winkler Prins encyclopedia , edition=8 , year=1975 , article=Keldermans

External links

Keldermans family at Archimon
Gothic architects Brabant Belgian families