Abraham Bloemaert: 5 works

'One of Abraham Bloemaert's most charming genre pieces is undoubtedly this image of a laughing boy, identified as a carnival reveller by his rumbling pot and bizarre headgear.'

'By varying the length and the curve of the same strokes of parallel hatching, he indicated both the lighting and the volume of the forms.'

'One of Bloemaert's contemporaries noted that "he has a clever way of drawing with a pen, and by adding small amounts of watercolor, he produced unusual effects."'

'Bloemaert’s style of painting suits the drama of the tale of Niobe, full of contrasting shifts between colours, light, and shade as well as complicated poses with bodies viewed from extreme angles.'

'Bloemaert was gifted in depicting natural detail, but he never painted pure landscapes, preferring pictures with a lesson.'