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Portrait of Abraham Bloemaert. Photo by Pieter van Gunst.

Top 10 Facts about Abraham Bloemaert

Abraham Bloemaert was a 16^th-century Dutch painter and printmaker. His method of printmaking was etching and engraving. Printmaking involves the creation of art by printing on paper, fabric, wood, or even metal.

Engraving is one of the oldest techniques in traditional printmaking, where the artist makes an incision onto a hard surface by cutting. Etching uses acid or mordant on metal to make designs.

Bloemart was born on 25 December 1566 in the city of Gorinchem in the western Netherlands. He received training from various painters throughout his life.

Most of his works are history subjects. He also painted landscapes. He is regarded as an important teacher for most of the Utrecht Caravaggisti artists.

Check out some of the top facts about Abraham Bloemaert below.

1. His father was a renowned architect

Bloemaert was the son of the renowned architect Cornelius Bloemaert I. He was born in Gorinchem but his family moved to Utrecht in 1575.  Cornelius was a highly esteemed sculptor, architect, and engineer, and his family had to move severally whenever he received work contracts.

Shortly after Bloemaert’s birth, they moved to s’Hertogenbosch in the southern Netherlands. His father had to help in the restoration of the Sint Janskerk. They returned to Gorinchem in 1571, then moved to Utrecht in 1575. Bloemart stayed there most of his life.

2. Bloemaert was first a pupil of Joos de Beer

Frans Floris self-portrait. Sourced from

Bloemaert’s early artistic training is reported to have been inconsistent. His biographer, Karel van Mander (1548 – 1606) indicated that he regretted his lack of proper instruction and training early on in his career. This is probably why he was enthusiastic about teaching in his later years, training over a hundred pupils.

Having moved to Utrecht in 1575, he became a pupil of Utrecht painter Joos de Beer. Joos had been a pupil of the Flemish painter Frans Floris, who played a significant role in the development of the Romanism movement, a Northern Renaissance painting style.

The style was developed by painters that had traveled to Rome to study the works of top Italian painters Michelangelo Caravaggio and Raphael Urbino. It assimilated the Italian influences into the Northern painting tradition.

Bloemaert would copy some of his paintings as part of his training.

3. He worked with Hieronymus Francken while in Â鶹APP

Carnival in Venice by Hieronymus Francken. Sourced from

At the age of 15 or 16, Bloemaert moved to Â鶹APP, where he spent three years. He studied for 6 weeks under Lehan Bassot, and a certain Maistre Henry.

It was at the School of Fontainebleau that he worked with Flemish painter Hieronymus Francken I, who was active in France. He had been a pupil of Frans Floris.

The School of Fontainbleau refers to the two artistic creations in France at the Palace of Fontainebleau during the late renaissance. The gallery of decorative works at the palace by renowned painters such as Francesco Primaticcio became known as ‘the school of Fontainebleau.’ It formed the basis of Northern Mannerism.

Having trained for 3 years in France, Bloemaert returned to Utrecht in 1583.

4. His painting styles were mainly Northern Mannerism and Dutch Baroque painting

Coronation Scene by Bloemaert.

Initially, he worked in the style of ‘Haarlem Mannerists’. Mannerism was a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian Renaissance. This was around 1520, and it lasted until about the end of the 16^th century, with the Baroque style replacing it.

Mannerism comprises several approaches associated with artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael. It exaggerates proportion and ideal beauty, resulting in asymmetrical works that are unnaturally elegant.

Bloemaert later switched to the Baroque style of painting, which had begun to emerge in the early 17^th century. It was a flamboyant style characterized by grandeur, sophistication, and intricate detail.

5. Most of his paintings are historical subjects

Baptism of Christ by Bloemaert 1646.

History painting is a genre that depicts a moment in a narrative historic story, unlike a static object in portraits.  The subjects are mostly religious, mythological, and allegorical scenes.

Some of Bloemaert’s history paintings include Baptism of Christ, the Expulsion of Hagar and Ishamael, John the Baptist preaching, and Moses Striking the Rock.

He also painted landscapes and a few genre scenes.

6. He was one of the founders of the Utrecht Guild of St. Luke

The Four Evangelists by Bloemaert. Sourced from

As of 1367, painters were included in the saddlemaker’s guild (Zaderlaarsgilde), having no guild of their own. The saddlers’ guild was a collective of many trades associated with art.

In 1611, together with the two other leading Utrecht painters, Paulus Moreelse and Joachim Wtewael, they founded the Utrecht Guild of Saint Luke. It was a new Utrecht painter’s guild, and Bloemaert became its dean in 1618.

Some notable members include Dirck Van Baburen, Hendrick Bloemaert, Jan Baptist Weenix, and Adam Willaerts.

7. He trained most of the Utrecht Caravaggisti

The Utrecht Caravaggisti is the term used to refer to the artists in Utrecht who were greatly influenced by the style of the Italian painter Michelangelo Caravaggio during their stay in Rome in the 17^th century.

They employed the Caravaggisti style, which is mainly characterized by the dramatic use of light and dark to illuminate the artist’s subject. Bloemaert trained most of them, including Gerrit van Honthorst, a key figure in the movement.

8. He painted several altarpieces

Adoration of the Magi by Abraham Bloemaert 1624.

Bloemaert was a devout Catholic. During his career, he got commissions to paint altarpieces for several large churches. These include the Jesuit church in Brussels, the Sint Janskerk in Utrecht, and the convent of the Poor Clares in Hertogenbosch.

9. Four of his sons became renowned painters

Pomona by Hendrick Bloemaert. Sourced from

These are Hendrick, Frederick, Cornelius, and Adriaan Bloemaert. He trained them from an early age, along with other pupils. The four achieved a considerable reputation as painters in their careers.

Hendrik was his oldest son, and he was also known for his poetry. He is considered an important member of the Utrecht school of Caravaggisti. Cornelis was mainly a printmaker. Frederick distinguished himself as an engraver.

9. He may have had as many as 100 pupils throughout his life

Bloemaert had had a rough start to his career in terms of training since he lacked consistent instruction most of the time. As he gained more skill in painting, he was passionate to see that young artists received proper training, which he offered generously.

He had a good number of pupils, some of whom became respected painters. These include Jan van Biljert, Nicolaus Knupfter, Henrik Schook and Matthias Stom. He had as many as a hundred pupils in total throughout his life.

10. His works are represented in several collections

The Baptism of the Eunuch by Bloemaert, housed at Centraal Museum, Netherlands.

Hundreds of years later, Bloemaert’s works still live on. He is represented in numerous collections across the world.

These include, but are not limited to, the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, Harvard University Art Museums, and Kunsthalle zu Kiel in Germany, among others.