Sunday, April 25, 2010

The Artist Himself



Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was a famous Dutch painter and etcher who was born on July 15, 1606 in the Netherlands. By many, he is considered to be one of the most prolific painters and etchers of the Dutch Golden Age. While he experienced much success during his early years as a portrait painter, his later years were blemished by financial adversity and misfortune. However, his etchings and paintings were quite popular throughout his lifetime and he was fortunate enough to have his reputation as an artist remain on high.

Rembrandt was born as the ninth child to Harmen Gerristszoon van Rijn and Neeltgen Willemsdothcher van Zuytbrouck. He came from a humble background being that his father was miller and his mother was a baker’s daughter. During his adolescent years he attended Latin school where he studied the classics like many of his contemporaries. He was then later enrolled at the University of Leiden. He spent three years as an apprentice to Leiden history painter Jacob van Swanenburgh, and then six months with the famous painter Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam. In the early 1620s, Rembrandt opened a studio in Leiden that he shared with his good friend, Jan Lievens.

Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam at the end of 1631, for it had been rapidly expanding as the new business capital of the Netherlands. When he made the move, he began to practice as a professional portraitist for the first time. He had achieved a great success. He was initially living with an art dealer named Hendrick van Uylenberg and in 1634 he married Hendrick’s cousin, Saskia van Uylenberg. His newlywed wife came from a good family where her father was a lawyer and mayor of Leeuwarden. In 1639 he and his wife moved to the Jewish Quarters where they had four children. Saskia had then died in 1642 leaving Rembrandt and the children behind. It was not long before Rembrandt found love again. In the later years of the 1640s, Rembrandt began a relationship with Hendrickje Stoffel. He eventually married her after giving birth to a daughter.

During his career as an artist, Rembrandt produced 600 paintings, 300 etchings and 1,400 drawings. In these works, Rembrandt had done several biblical works such as The Raising of the Cross, Joseph Telling His Dreams, and The Stoning of Saint Stephen. In 1642, Rembrandt painted The Night Watch, which became his largest and most notable work. Rembrandt had several self portraits but his most famous self portrait was done in 1658. Rembrandt passed away on October 4, 1669 in Amsterdam. He outlived both of his wives and his eldest son. He left behind his daughters and all of his pieces of artwork.

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