Bloemaert, Abraham

Bloemaert, Abraham (b Gorinchem, 25 Dec. 1566; d Utrecht, 13 Jan. 1651). Dutch historical and landscape painter and engraver, the son of a sculptor and architect, Cornelis I Bloemaert (c.1540–93). Most of his life was spent in Utrecht, where for many years he was the leading painter and an outstanding teacher. Both, Honthorst, Terbrugghen, and virtually all the Utrecht painters of the period who attained any kind of distinction trained with him. Bloemaert was a good learner as well as a good teacher and rapidly assimilated the new ideas his pupils brought back from Italy. For a time he became a Caravaggesque painter and late in his career adopted some aspects of the classicism of the Carracci. Although his landscape paintings are firmly in the Mannerist tradition, his landscape drawings are naturalistic and constitute his most original works. Many of his drawings were etched and published by his son Frederick (c.1616–90) in an instructional book for the use of art students (it first appeared c.1650 and continued to be reprinted into the 19th century). Bloemaert had three other painter sons, who like Frederick were his pupils: Hendrick (c.1601–72), Cornelis II (c.1603–c.1684), and Adriaen (c.1609–66).