Madonna and Child in the Clouds

For many decades, Abraham Bloemaert was the leading Catholic painter in the Dutch Republic. His was a family business, with his son Cornelis making prints based on Abraham’s designs. Catholicism was tolerated by the Protestant majority, but Catholics had to hide their churches behind discreet façades; their devotion had to be private. Bloemaert’s star-studded recasting of Federico Barocci’s heavenly Virgin could be used for private devotion in the home.