Abraham Bloemaert, The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1612, 113" x 90.2", The Louvre Museum, Paris, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. Abraham Bloemaert, The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1612, 113

Happy Birthday Abraham Bloemaert

Abraham Bloemaert (Dec. 25, 1564 – Jan. 27, 1651), the Dutch painter and printmaker living in Utrecht, was born on Christmas Day. A devout Catholic living in the Netherlands, Bloemaert had a thriving business creating religious works of art for the few Catholic churches in the region. He worked in the unusual Mannerist style earlier in his career, but soon fell under the influence of Caravaggio, as so many artists did in the early 17th century.

Merry Christmas from The Art Minute