Born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden, Netherlands, Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, popularly known as Rembrandt was one of the most important artists of the great age of Dutch painting. This Baroque painter, print maker and one of the greatest storytellers in the history of art had an exceptional ability to render people in their various moods and dramatic guises. In range, originality and expressive power, his large production of paintings, drawings and etchings has never been surpassed. The Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, his home for many years, is the perfect place to experience his presence with a large collection of his paintings, drawings and also almost all of Rembrandt’s etchings. Time to head there now to witness his creations.

It had been quite an exciting day since morning. We got up early to live the charm of an early morning Amsterdam. The breakfast at the hotel was nice after which we were out to explore. First experiencing the creations of Vincent Van Gogh in Van Gogh Museum and then spending some touching moments discovering the life of Anne Frank at Anne Frank House.

Before we move to Rembrandt House we wish to thank Ms. Nathalie Maciesza of Communications and PR, Museum Het Rembrandthuis, Amsterdam for a warm welcome and extending press privileges to Travelwisesr & our travel blog, Travels with passion along with permission to photograph and use museum copyrighted photographs. We are extremely glad to learn and share the life and creations of Rembrandt with our readers across the world.

Rembrandt – The story of this incredible Man

The early days

Rembrandt was the fourth of six surviving children out of ten. Unlike many painters of his time, he did not come from a family of artists; his father, Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn was a miller. His mother, Neeltgen Willemsdochter van Zuytbrouck, came from a family of bakers.

For first seven years Rembrandt was a student at the elementary school followed by the Latin school, and then, in 1620, he enrolled at Leiden University at the age of thirteen. After only a few months, however, he left to pursue his true passion, painting. He was an apprentice for three years to the painter Jacob Isaacsz van Swanenburgh, who had studied in Italy.

In 1624 Rembrandt went to Amsterdam to work with Pieter Lastman, a painter of biblical, mythological, and historical scenes. After Lastman’s death in 1633, Rembrandt continued to use his teacher’s subjects and motifs (dominant themes) but rephrased them. It was Lastman’s ability to tell a story visually that impressed him and help him develop his style.

The Artist evolves

By 1625 Rembrandt was working independently in Leiden. He was closely associated at this time with Jan Lievens, also a student of Lastman’s. The two young men worked so similarly that even in their own lifetime there was doubt as to which of them was responsible for a particular painting. They used the same models and even worked on each other’s pictures.

By 1631 Rembrandt was ready to compete with the accomplished portrait painters of Amsterdam. His portrait of the Amsterdam merchant Nicolaes Ruts (1631) put him in the top league. Around 1631 or 1632 Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam, where he had already achieved some recognition as a portraitist. Both his career and his personal life prospered.

In 1631 Rembrandt entered a business relationship with Hendrick Uylenburgh, an Amsterdam entrepreneur in paintings who had a large workshop that painted portraits, carried out restorations, and produced copies, among other activities. Rembrandt apparently had already planned or was inspired by Uylenburgh to leave Leiden, then in decline, for Amsterdam, which was thriving.

From 1631 to 1635 in Uylenburgh’s workshop, Rembrandt produced a substantial number of portraits and some group portraits, such as The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp (1632). He conquered the Amsterdam portrait market rapidly. Partly relying on his experience as a history painter, he succeeded in producing much livelier portraits than those created by the specialized portrait painters who had dominated the Amsterdam scene before his arrival. Have a look at some of his paintings from 1628-1635.

Success & fame at his doorstep

Rembrandt became a member of the Amsterdam St. Luke’s guild in 1634 and the same year he married Uylenburgh’s niece, Saskia van Uylenburgh. By the end of 1635, Rembrandt had left the house of Uylenburgh and established himself independently with his family. In 1639, after a period of living and working in rented dwellings, he bought a large house, built in 1606–07 and adjacent to the house in which he had begun his Amsterdam career with Uylenburgh. Rembrandt paid less than one-third of the full price. The debt he left unpaid would later cause him great trouble. Rembrandt lived and worked in this house for almost 20 years. Since 1906 it has been the home of the Rembrandt House Museum.

Turbulent times followed

For a long time all went well in Rembrandt’s household. The workshop produced an enormous quantity of paintings, drawings and etchings. The best pupils came to be trained. Rembrandt was a passionate collector and the house was crammed with a breathtaking collection of paintings, prints, rarities and other objets d’art. But then bad times followed good in quick succession. His wife gave birth to three children there, all of whom died within a few months, before their son Titus, who was to survive to adulthood, was born. Soon afterwards Saskia died, probably from tuberculosis, leaving Rembrandt with their infant son. ‘The Night Watch’ his famous painting was painted in the house during those days in 1639-1642.

The impact of a declining market, a change in his elite clients tastes and his extravagant lifestyle ultimately led to his bankruptcy. In 1658, when Rembrandt was fifty-two, he was finally forced to leave his house and move with his mistress Hendrickje Stoffels, their young daughter Cornelia and Rembrandt’s seventeen-year-old son Titus to a modest rented house. Hendrickje died in 1663. In 1668 Titus died as well. The lonely Rembrandt continued to paint. His last Self-Portrait is dated 1669. When he died in Amsterdam on October 4, 1669, a painting, Simeon with the Christ Child in the Temple, was left unfinished on his easel.

Rembrandt Self Portraits

Rembrandt continued to create art throughout his hardships. In addition to many biblical paintings, history paintings, commissioned portraits and landscapes, he produced a large number of self-portraits. These self-portraits included 80 to 90 paintings, drawings, and etchings done over approximately 30 years beginning in the 1620s until his death in 1663. Rembrandt himself painted between 40 and 50 self-portraits, seven drawings, and 32 etchings. By looking at them you get an unique insight into the life, character and psychological development of the man. Come let’s have a look at few of them.

Rembrandt Etchings

Around 1628 Rembrandt made his first etchings. Unlike drawing, etching is not a natural counterpart to painting. His decision to begin etching meant taking a significant new direction in his career. Much of his international fame during his lifetime was based on the widely disseminated prints he produced from the 300 or so etchings he made over the course of his career. Few of the renowned ones here for you.

Rembrandt House Museum

A quick tour with us

Tickets & Web Shop

Tickets for the museum which includes a free audio guide can be purchased online and it is advisable to do so early. To book your tickets from the museum website when it reopens after the lockdown, Click Here. And have a memorable time when you are there. Till then shop your heart out with some awesome Rembrandt mementos. Click to visit the Web Shop.

Support the Museum

The Rembrandt House Museum is facing great difficulties, just as other cultural institutions and businesses, because of the crisis. For the past several decades the museum has been able to generate its own income, and have not had to rely very much on subsidies. But now a large part of the income has fallen away because of the restrictions and the decline in foreign visitors. A little support can go a long way to maintain the legacy of Rembrandt and his Art. Click here for information on how you can Support the Museum.

Rembrandt. A legacy of over 400 years lives on as his creations make millions line up to get a feel of him. The Rembrandt House Museum tells the story of the multi-faceted Rembrandt. Although he is known above all as an artist, Rembrandt was much more than a talented painter, etcher and draughtsman. In the museum you will encounter Rembrandt the man, the teacher, the collector, the entrepreneur and the Amsterdammer. Come and meet him in his own home!

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