Abraham Bloemaert

Dionys Muilman,
sale of his collection, Amsterdam, J. de Bosch et al, 29 March 1773, Kunstboek H, no. 591;
Cornelis Ploos van Amstel (his inscription, verso, L.3002-4),
possibly sale of his collection, Amsterdam, van der Schley et al, 3 March 1800, Kunstboek G, no. 26;
J de Bosch,
sale of his collection, Amsterdam, van der Schley et al, 6 April 1812, Kunstboek B, no. 43;
Carel Emil Duits (L.533a);
Prof. Einar Perman, Stockholm

Stockholm, Nationalmuseum, Dutch and Flemish Drawings in the Nationalmuseum and other Swedish Collections, 1953, p. 31, cat. no. 66;
Laren, Singer Museum, Oude tekeningen uit de Nederlanden, verzameling Prof. E. Perman, Stockholm, 1962, cat. no. 9

J. Bolten, Abraham Bloemaert c 1565-1651, The Drawings, 2 vols., Leiden 2007, vol. I, p. 123, cat. 312, reproduced vol. II, fig. 312

Overall condition very good and strong. Some small light blue spots in upper half of sheet. A few thin patches down left side (central one backed, verso, with small tab of paper) and slight damage to ink framing line, left edge. Minor light diagonal creases (hardly visible). Slight oxidization in a little of the white heightening towards lower left. Window mounted.
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Bloemaert made a number of drawings of single figures of saints, several of which were engraved.  The present drawing is not, however, indented for transfer and no corresponding print is recorded, although a design by Abraham, now unknown, did serve as the model for his son Cornelis' print of the standing figure of St. Willibrord, the first in a series of twelve representing the bishops of Utrecht.  Willibrord, (d.739) was the first Bishop of Utrecht, and is also the city's patron Saint.

Stylistically, this drawing is very similar to another of a Seated Bishop,¹ which bears a date of 1599 on the verso, but which Jaap Bolten believes cannot date from that early. Bolten dates the present drawing c. 1625-30. A slight sketch for a comparable figure of the Saint is on the verso of a Study of a Standing Bishop, in Stockholm,² while a copy of the present drawing is in Braunschweig.³

1. Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, inv. Z 1236; reproduced Bolten, op. cit., vol. II, fig. 312b
2. Bolten, op. cit., vol. I, cat. no. 872
3. Bolten, op. cit., vol. I, cat. no. 867, vol. II, figs. 312a and 867