Rembrandt

1606-1669

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was the most important painter of the 17th century, also known as the Dutch Golden Age. In addition to painting, Rembrandt also mastered drawing and etching to perfection and developed entirely new dimensions in printmaking.

Rembrandt's trademark was the unique depiction of light and shadow – painting from the dark: his principal motifs appear as if on a stage in the spotlight, the background disappears into the darkness. These strong contrasts give Rembrandt's paintings a special, luminous drama and liveliness.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn was born in Leiden on 15 July 1606. In 1623, he became a student of Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam, but he did not move there until 1631, for initially, he still worked in his hometown.

Illustrating the emotions of the sitter was always one of Rembrandt's central concerns. His more than 100 self-portraits, which show him in changing disguises and various psychological studies, bear witness to this. The loving and sensual portraits of his wife Saskia and second wife Hendrickje Stoffels, with whom he had lived since 1649, can also be understood in this way. The wedding in 1634 with Saskia von Uylenburgh enabled the couple and their son Titus, who was born in 1641, to live a financially carefree life and receive many commissions. But after Saskia's death in 1642, the painter fell into ever greater financial difficulties and died on 4 October 1669 heavily in debt.

The attribution of many of Rembrandt's works is still difficult today, as the apprentices of his large workshop quickly adapted his style. Biblical scenes are the most frequent subject matter, interspersed with historical and mythological motifs. His group portraits were a novel conception of portraiture, for, as in the self-portrait, Rembrandt revealed the human appearance through subtle empathy with individuality. Moreover, the life-size figure paintings revolutionised the understanding of the Baroque group portrait.

His early work is characterised by the dramatic use of light and shadow and a careful rendering of the material. But in the last years of his life warm brown and red tones and an internalised expression led to a calming of the pictorial action. He complemented his extensive oeuvre of paintings with numerous etchings and hand drawings.

Filter