Acrylic Arts

Rembrandt, One of the Greatest Artists in History!

As one of the greatest painters in history, Rembrandt was a Dutch baroque artist. Rembrandt, whose full name was Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (born July 15, 1606 – died Oct. 4, 1669). He was known for his deep understanding of human nature, that was matched not only by his brilliant techniques in painting, but his drawings and etchings as well. He made a profound impact on his contemporaries and he influenced the style of many artists. Perhaps no other painter ever matched his chiaroscuro effects or his bold layering of paints.

Rembrandt, was born in the Netherlands. His father was a miller wanted the boy to learn a profession, however Rembrandt left the University of Leiden to pursue his passion, to study painting.  He was influenced by an Italian artist by the name of Caravaggio and he was inspired by many other Italian artists as well. Once Rembrandt established himself as a painter, he began teaching and continued teaching throughout his entire life.

By 1631 the work he was doing in his studio in Leiden had become very well known and he then moved to Amsterdam.  After his move to Holland he became the leading portrait painter.  Rembrandt began to receive many commissions for his portraits as well as paintings of a religious nature.  He became a wealthy, respected citizen and met a very beautiful woman, Saskia van Uylenburgh. They married in 1634 and she modeled for many of his drawings and paintings.  Rembrandt’s works were known for his strong lighting effects and he not only attained fame for his portraits, but for his landscapes as well.  As an etcher, he was among the greatest of all time.  If he had no one to model, he would paint or sketch his own image.  It is believed he painted as many as 50 to 60 portraits of himself.

In 1636, Rembrandt’s style began to change slightly, painting with more of a serious tone in his scenes, along with a new warmth of color.  During the next several years, 3 of his 4 children died in infancy and in 1642 his wife passed away.  Throughout the 1630s to 1640s he had created many landscape drawings and etchings.  One of his most well know works was known as The Night Watch, painted in 1642.  It depicted a group of city guardsmen, he painted each of the men with as much detail as if he was doing a single portrait.  On the canvas he use brilliant colors, movement and light.

Rembrandt had grown accustomed to living a comfortable lifestyle.  As soon as he could afford to, he purchased many paintings by other artists and by the mid-1650s he had been living so far beyond what he could afford, he had to auction his house and his goods to pay his debts.  He did have fewer commissions in the 1640s and 1650s, but his financial situation wasn’t unbearable.  Today, to the students of art, Rembrandt will always be, as Dutch painter Jozef Israels had said, “the true type of artist, free, untrammeled by traditions.”

During his lifetime, he produced some 600 paintings, 1400 drawings and about 300 etchings. Some of the great works he produced are:

• The Syndics of the Drapers’ Guild (1662)
• Young Girl at an Open Half-Door (1645)
• St. Paul in Prison (1627)
• The Mill (1650)
• Supper at Emmaus (1630)
• Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer (1653)
• The Return of the Prodigal Son (after 1660)
• The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp (1632)
• Along with numerous portraits