Rembrandt van Rijn

Born: 1606
City and Country of Origin: Leiden, The Netherlands
Painting School: Baroque
Art Training:
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Major Works: "The Night Watch," "Man with a Golden Helmet"
Rembrandt van Rijn Biography: This great giant of the art world was born into the family of a miller. He left the University of Leiden, where he had enrolled to follow in his father's footsteps, to devote his time to art. He was heavily influenced by the work of Caravaggio and other Italian artists. In 1631 he moved to Amsterdam. Here he set up a studio and quickly became the leading portrait painter in Holland. His work is known for its powerful lighting, sometimes referred to as Rembrandt lighting, his bold use of color and his rich brushwork. Besides portraits and group portraits Rembrandt also painted numerous landscapes. His work made him an extremely affluent man, but his life was not without tradgedy. He lost 3 of his 4 children at child birth and in 1642 his wife passed away. He had become accustomed to living well and owned many paintings by other artists. By the 1650s the demand for his work diminished and he found himself seriously in debt. This forced him to auctionoff his house and some of its contents to satisfy his debts.
Died: 1669