Rembrandt | |
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Born | Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn 15 July 1606[1] |
Died | 4 October 1669 Amsterdam, Dutch Republic | (aged 63)
Education | Jacob van Swanenburg Pieter Lastman |
Known for | Painting, printmaking, drawing |
Notable work | Self-portraits The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp (1632) Belshazzar's Feast The Night Watch (1642) The Hundred Guilder Print (etching, c. 1647–1649) Bathsheba at Her Bath (1654) Syndics of the Drapers' Guild (1662) |
Movement | Dutch Golden Age Baroque |
Spouse | |
Children | 2, including Titus |
Signature | |
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (/ˈrɛmbrænt, ˈrɛmbrɑːnt/;[2] Dutch: [ˈrɛmbrɑnt ˈɦɑrmə(n)ˌsoːɱ vɑn ˈrɛin] ; 15 July 1606[1] – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the history of Western art.[3] It is estimated Rembrandt produced a total of about three hundred paintings, three hundred etchings, and two thousand drawings.
Unlike most Dutch painters of the 17th century, Rembrandt's works depict a wide range of styles and subject matter, from portraits and self-portraits to landscapes, genre scenes, allegorical and historical scenes, biblical and mythological themes and animal studies. His contributions to art came in a period that historians call the Dutch Golden Age.
Rembrandt never went abroad but was considerably influenced by the work of the Italian Old Masters and Dutch and Flemish artists who had studied in Italy. After he achieved youthful success as a portrait painter, Rembrandt's later years were marked by personal tragedy and financial hardships. Yet his etchings and paintings were popular throughout his lifetime, his reputation as an artist remained high,[4] and for twenty years he taught many important Dutch painters.[5] Rembrandt's portraits of his contemporaries, self-portraits and illustrations of scenes from the Bible are regarded as his greatest creative triumphs. His approximately 40 self-portraits form an intimate autobiography.[3][6]