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Rembrandt Biography
Rembrandt
Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606 - 1669). Known commonly only as Rembrandt,
is considered a master of Western Art. With more than 600 paintings
and about 2,000 drawings and etchings, (and even more that have been
lost as time passed) he is one of the most prolific artists of all
time. The variety of the subjects used in his work is amazing when
compared to others who specialized in only certain types of painting.
Nudes, landscapes, portraits, everyday scenes, birds and animals,
historical and mythological figures, biblical subjects, and self-portraits
are all to be found in his creations. Rembrandt was born in Leiden,
The Netherlands on July 15, 1606, the son of a miller of modest means.
His education was not neglected, but the university bored him and
he later dropped out to study art. He began with a local teacher and
then left to study in Amsterdam where he mastered his lessons in six
months. He returned to Leiden and at only 22 was already taking on
students. He moved back to Amsterdam in 1631 and later married Saskia
van Uylenburgh, the cousin of a successful art dealer who would enhance
his career, introducing him to wealthy patrons who commissioned portraits
from him. His other paintings were greatly sought after and he was
making enough money to afford a huge house filled with many famous
works of art. Unfortunately, however, his private life was not so
successful. Of his and Saskia's four children, only one survived infancy
and Saskia herself died in 1642. He was forced to declare bankruptcy
in 1656 after his ostentatious lifestyle exceeded even the substantial
funds he was making as a painter, teacher, and art dealer. He was
forced to auction off his treasured art collection as well as his
house. He began to focus more on painting for his own enjoyment rather
than for commission and his paintings from this time are thought to
be his best, showing a depth of richness and spirituality missing
in the precise brushstrokes of his earlier works. Hendrickje
Stoffels, a housekeeper whom he had hired in 1649, had become his
common law wife and Rembrandt used her as a model for several of his
paintings. He often called friends and family into his studio to serve
as ideals for historical and mythological paintings, disguising them
as portrayals of famous characters. Sadness still seemed to follow
him, however, when in 1663 his second wife died, followed in 1668
with the death of his only surviving child, Titus. Rembrandt himself
lived less than a year afterwards, dying on October 4, 1669.
Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee, 1633
Rembrandt
van Rijn
18 in. x 24 in.
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this Giclee Print
