What would you think of an artist that painted two thousand three hundred paintings in sixty three years? I would say that’s pretty amazing. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was regarded by many as the greatest painter, in the 1600’s and in Dutch art in general. Rembrandt had a very original, but interesting way of bringing out the main characters in a painting. He had a good family back round. He spent most of his life in Leiden and Amsterdam painting. He was a man of considerable wealth and a respected citizen. Rembrandt had a very interesting life, but why was he so amous?
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born on July 15, 1606, in Leiden Holland. His father was a miller. Rembrandt spent his childhood in Leiden. He attended seven years at a Latin School. At the age of thirteen, Rembrandt left school to pursue his dream to become a painter. He left Leiden to become an apprentice in a painter’s shop in Amsterdam. He went to school to be taught painting in Amsterdam. At of the seventeen, Rembrandt had his own studio, and at the age of 20, he became a well- known, successful portrait painter for the rich.
Before he became a painter, he ad to study drawing parts of the body like eyes and the ears for months at a time until this was perfected. In 1634, he married Saskia van Uylenburgh, his well respected cousin. They had four children and three out of four children died at infancy. The only one that survived was Titus. In 1642, Rembrandt’s wife died at the age of thirty. Since then, Rembrandt and Titus lived with their house keeper, Hendrickje Stoffels. In the 1650’s and the 1660’s Rembrandt’s fame was beginning to dwindle down. He received major public commissions, and his financial difficulties were a result of poor anagement.
He filed for bankruptcy in 1659. His house and his collections were sold at auction. In 1663, his house keeper died, and in 1668, his son Titus died when he was twenty seven years old. Not much longer, Rembrandt’s life of fame and glory ended in October 4th 1669, when Rembrandt died at the age of sixty three. Rembrandt’s work was very breathtaking, detailed, and centered around the main subject. His back rounds were dark and the subject was light and bright as in the painting Jesus’ Resurrection. Rembrandt really focuses on the main character.
Rembrandt went through a couple different periods in his art. The first period was called the Leyden from 1625 through 1631. The second one was called Baroque period and was ten years after the Leyden period. Much of Rembrandt’s work was inspired by Italian artist Michelangelo. Some elements of Rembrandt’s paintings are dramatic, violent, and seductive. Rembrandt was known as the most popular painter in Amsterdam. Rembrandt got most of his paintings from scenes from the Bible such as the Prodigal Son. It is estimated the he painted about 50 or 60 self portraits.
In the 1630’s and 1640’s Rembrandt went though another period of art. He made landscape etchings and drawings. In 1642 Rembrandt painted The Night Watch. It was considered to the turning point in his career. The Night Watch depicted a military company. In this painting Rembrandt put some more important people in shadow. After the 1650’s his style changed and showed more warmth and color. He also used gentle light. His work had reached a new depth of feelings. It is thought that he looked back and found inspiration in former artist and their works.
Rembrandt was the most famous painter in Amsterdam and later the whole world. Rembrandt was a very successful painter. Some of his most famous paintings are the Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp made in 1632, the Return of the Prodigal Son made in 1660, and Young Girl at an Open Half- Door made in 1645. Other well- known paintings are the Syndics of the Drapers ‘Guild made in 1662, and The Jewish Bride made in 1665. The Jewish Bride was Rembrandt’s last well- known painting. Rembrandt used his wife, son, father, sister, and house keeper for models in his paintings.
At the time f Rembrandt’s death, he had an amazing collection of six hundred paintings, three hundred etchings, and one thousand four hundred drawings for a grade total of two thousand three hundred amazing works of art in only sixty three years. Rembrandt was an amazing painter. He must have had a lot of patience and determination to paint all of those paintings. In my opinion, I think that Rembrandt was a great painter. He had a great authentic style of painting. When I first saw his paintings in black and white, I thought they were photographs.
My personal favorite painting of Rembrandts is Jesus’ Resurrection because he brings out the joy of the Resurrection. The back round is very dark to bring out Jesus. Jesus in the painting was what caught my eye the most. When you look at the picture, out of the corner of your eye you see a bright cluster representing Jesus, and when you look closer, you can see Jesus and other important people in the painting. This painting really catches your eye. This was why Rembrandt was so famous and still is today. His paintings will never go out of style. All of Rembrandt’s paintings are original and amazing.
