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Charity
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Abraham Bloemaert drew on traditional depictions of the Virgin and Child for this allegorical image of Charity: a woman surrounded by children, one an infant for whom she has bared her breast. Bloemaert was one of the leading proponents of the Mannerist style in the Northern Netherlands. Characteristics of that style include exaggerated figural proportions, contorted poses, heightened colors, densely packed compositions, and a deliberate eroticism—invoked here to emphasize the magnetic quality of Charity’s serene beauty.
| Artist / Maker | Abraham Bloemaert |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1590 |
| Culture / Origin | Netherlands, late 16th Century |
| Medium | oil on wood |
| Dimensions | Framed: 87 x 100 x 10.2 cm (34 1/4 x 39 3/8 x 4 in.); Unframed: 68.6 x 54.5 cm (27 x 21 7/16 in.) |
| Department | European Painting and Sculpture |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
BiographyAbraham Bloemaert (1564–1651) — Dutch painter (1566–1651).Abraham Bloemaert worked as painter, printmaker, graphic artist, engraver and printer and is associated with Dutch Republic. Their documented life spans the years 1564 to 1651, born in Gorinchem, died in Utrecht. Their work is linked to Mannerism, Utrecht Caravaggism.Disciplinespainter, printmaker, graphic artist, engraver, printerBorn1564, GorinchemDied1651, UtrechtNationalityDutch RepublicMovementMannerism, Utrecht CaravaggismSources: Wikidata · Wikipedia Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
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