Hendrick de Keyser (15 May 1565 – 15 May 1621) was a Dutch sculptor, merchant in Belgium bluestone, and architect who was instrumental in establishing a late Renaissance form of Mannerism changing into Baroque. Most of his works appeared in Amsterdam, some elsewhere in the Dutch Republic. He was the father of Pieter and Thomas de Keyser and Willem, and the uncle of Huybert de Keyser, who became his apprentices and all involved in building, decoration and architecture. Biography and works Hendrick de Keyser was born in Utrecht, and the son of a cabinetmaker. He grew up in an expropriated monastery, the Catalijne Convent. As a young man he was apprenticed to the engineer Cornelis Bloemaert (the elder). In 1591 he followed Bloemaert to Amsterdam and married Beyken van Wildre from Antwerp. Soon he set to work as an independent artist. In 1595 he was appointed city stonemason and sculptor. In 1603 the working on the Zuiderkerk stopped but they resumed construction in 1606, when they agreed with the church board. Meanwhile, he visited London, together with Cornelis Danckerts de Ry to study the Royal Exchange, London. There he contracted Nicholas Stone? Perhaps they met with Inigo Jones, but he does not appear to have turned seriously to architecture until after his Italian tour of 1614. In 1608 De Keyser sold petit Granit which was used for the weigh house in Hoorn; he also designed the dormers on the rooftop. From 1609 De Keyser lived at the corner of Groenburgwal, near Amstel. De Keyser was visited by Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger and his brother Lorenz from Denmark who may have asked him for advise or training. Quite a few of his siblings lived in the area. His brothers Jacob who was a cabinetmaker, and Aert a timber merchant, and Huybert his nephew all lived near Jodenbreestraat in a sidestreet. (In 1639 the heirs sold the house to the sephardic community.) De Keyser was friendly with the painter Cornelis Ketel, whom he visited when Ketel made his will; both were Arminian or Remonstrant. De Keyser's relations with Ketel are illustrated by the portraits Ketel painted of the architect. Hendrick is famous for a number of important buildings, gates and towers which belong to the core of Dutch historic sites. Today the Zuiderkerk (1603/6-1611) and accompanying tower (1614), the City Hall (Delft) (1618-1620), the Westerkerk (1620-1631) are among the historic buildings