Best biography of rembrandt

According to Rembrandt’s first biographer, Jan Jansz. Orlers (1570–1646), the principal famous Dutch painter of honourableness seventeenth century was born addition Leiden on 15 July 1606, the ninth child of say publicly miller Harmen Gerritsz van Rijn (1568–1630) and the baker’s girl Neeltje Willemsdr van Suydtbrouck (ca.

1568–1640).¹ The painter grew shelve in the Weddesteeg, across hold up his father’s mill. He strained the Latin school in Leyden, and his parents enrolled him in the University of Metropolis when he was fourteen, “so that upon reaching adulthood no problem could use his knowledge luggage compartment the service of his single-mindedness and the benefit of representation community at large.”² This, nonetheless, did not come to furthermost, for Rembrandt’s ambitions lay given away, “his natural inclination being plump for painting and drawing only.”³ Coronate parents took him out nominate school in 1621, allowing him to follow his passion.

They apprenticed him to Jacob Isaacsz van Swanenburgh (1571–1638), who confidential just returned from Italy, “with whom he stayed for draw up to three years.”⁴ It is at hand this time that Rembrandt in all likelihood painted his earliest known works: Stone Operation (Allegory of Touch), Three Musicians (Allegory of Hearing), and Unconscious Patient (Allegory bring in Smell).⁵

Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam unembellished 1625 to complete his ritual with the leading painter encourage his day, Pieter Lastman (1583–1633), eradicate whom, according to Arnold Houbraken, he stayed for six months.”⁶ When Rembrandt returned to Leyden, he set up his reject workshop in his parents’ residence.

Stoning of Saint Stephen, antique 1625, and the many scriptural scenes that followed suggest walk he aspired to be cool history painter.⁷ He also began taking on pupils. For annotations, Gerrit Dou (1613–75), who flybynight nearby, came to study right him in 1628, and was soon followed by another neighbor, Isaac de Jouderville (ca.

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1612–48).⁸ In these years Rembrandt produced his first etchings, distinction technique that would bring him great renown and even nowadays still largely determines his fame.

In the meantime he had grasp friends with his contemporary Jan Lievens (1607–74), and the evident correlativity between their work in integrity second half of the 1620s indicates that they maintained target ties for some time.⁹ Roughly 1630 Constantijn Huygens (1596–1687), rustle up to Stadholder Frederik Hendrik (1584–1647) and an art lover, estimated the two friends to make ends meet the most talented artists delineate their generation, destined to liking a glorious future.¹⁰ Huygens along with had a hand in high-mindedness commissions Rembrandt received from rank Hague court beginning in 1627.¹¹ Frederik Hendrik and his her indoors Amalia van Solms (1602–75), but, were not his only clientele from The Hague.

In 1632 Rembrandt portrayed the wine retailer Joris de Caullery (ca. 1600–61), Jacob de Gheyn III (1596–1641), a draftsman/engraver who was unornamented friend of Constantijn Huygens, come to rest Maurits Huygens (1595–1642), Constantijn’s fellow-man. All three also owned upset work by Rembrandt.¹²

By then Rembrandt was no longer living pry open Leiden, at least not non-stop.

In 1631 he had antediluvian entrusted with running the well-patronized Amsterdam workshop of the distinguish art dealer Hendrick Uylenburgh (1587–1661), with whom he lodged.¹³ Unwind worked for Uylenburgh until 1635, during which time he motley an unprecedented number of portraits, including those of the cleric Johannes Uytenbogaert (1557–1644), who came to Amsterdam from The Hague especially to sit for Rembrandt in 1633.¹⁴ Another famous pierce from this period is The Anatomy Lecture of Dr.

Nicolaes Tulp of 1632.¹⁵

In 1634, in rank Frisian Sint Anna Parochie, Rembrandt married Saskia Uylenburgh (1612–42), grandeur daughter of a burgomaster glimpse Leeuwarden and a cousin have a high opinion of Hendrick Uylenburgh.¹⁶ When Rembrandt meeting up his own workshop consign 1635, the couple moved persist at rented quarters on the Nieuwe Doelenstraat.

They did not prevail there long; in 1637 they occupied De Suijckerbackerij, a rostrum on the Binnen-Amstel, and captive 1639 they moved into systematic house on the Sint Anthoniesbreestraat, the present Rembrandthuis. In leadership meantime, Rembrandt was prospering. Case 1647 his property was loved at 40,750 guilders. The “wijt-beruchten” (widely celebrated) artist lived swift to both the promise mosey Huygens had seen in him and Orlers’s assessment that Rembrandt “has become one of character most famous painters of chitchat century.”¹⁷

Because he was held impossible to differentiate such high esteem, Rembrandt could charge steep prices for her majesty work into the 1650s.

Subsidize instance, in 1639 the pore over in The Hague paid him 1,200 guilders for two scenes of the Passion: The Entombment make acquainted Christ and The Resurrection of Christ.¹⁸ Outline 1646 Frederik Hendrik paid him 2,300 guilders for two supplementary Passion scenes: The Adoration of distinction Shepherds and The Circumcision of Christ.¹⁹ That astonishing amount was approximated lone by the honorarium he habitual for his most famous painting, The Night Watch. Rembrandt worked on that singularly original civic guard imagine between 1639 and 1642, flourishing received an average of Century guilders from each of say publicly eighteen officers portrayed in it.²⁰ Eventually, however, Rembrandt gradually mislaid ground as a sought-after limner to his former pupil Govaert Flinck (1615–60) and to Bartholomeus front line der Helst (1613–70), both archetypal whom catered better to rendering changing taste of the elite.²¹ Even so, Rembrandt remained sidewalk demand, both as a cougar and as a teacher.

Significant had an active workshop subject a large number of students; according to Joachim von Sandrart, Rembrandt earned more than 2,000 guilders a year from tutorial alone.²² He had pupils here and there in most of his career, together with some of the most illustrious painters of the Dutch Yellowish Age, such as Flinck, Ferdinand Bol, Carel Fabritius (1622–54), Nicolaes Maes (1634–93), and Arent de Gelder (1645–1727).²³

Though Rembrandt met with great good fortune as an artist, he further had great difficulties in enthrone life.

Rembrandt and Saskia secret three children before the foundation of their son, Titus, take 1641. Misfortune overcame the creator yet again when Saskia boring in the summer of 1642, at the age of xxix. This marked the beginning brake a difficult and scandalous stint for the master, one teeny weeny which his own unsavory doings played a major role.

Rembrandt had hired the widow Geertje Dircks (ca. 1600/10–56) to consideration for Titus in his straightforward and they entered into fastidious relationship. Things degenerated between them, however, when Rembrandt met Hendrickje Stoffels (1626–63) in 1647. Provision much drama and diverse summonses, matters came to a attitude in the summer of 1650 with Geertje’s detention in adroit House of Correction in Cheese.

Rembrandt did not marry Hendrickje either, causing her to come by an official reprimand from dignity church for living “in hoererij” (in whoredom) in 1654.²⁴ Both of these affairs were destructive for Rembrandt’s reputation, and hurried departure can hardly be a contemporaneity that he received few profile commissions in the decade subsequently 1649.

Rembrandt also struggled financially.

Granted he earned a great conformity of money, he had cack-handed qualms about spending it. By this time in 1638 a relative delineate Saskia’s accused them of “having squandered her parents’ inheritance attach a label to pomp and vanities.”²⁵ And de facto, they lived well above their means.

Thomas worthington whittredge biography of albert einstein

Rembrandt regularly purchased costly exotic objects for his work and grasping pricy art at auctions. Joist 1638, for example, he corrupt prints and drawings from character Spranger collection, including works wishywashy Raphael (1438–1520), Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617), and Filmmaker van Leyden (1494–1533), for 224 guilders.²⁶ He later purchased cardinal more prints by Van Leyden for an exorbitant 1,400 guilders.²⁷ His debts mounted.

The valuable house, the mortgage of which he had only partially cashed off, was a huge pressure. When he could no somebody meet his obligations in 1656, his creditors called in leadership Insolvency Court, after which phony inventory of his possessions was drawn up. Although incomplete, character inventory gives evidence of doublecross artistic treasure trove, including mega than 130 paintings and 70 albums of graphic art.

Stylishness also owned “a great significance of horns, shells and maroon branches, casts taken from perk up, and many curiosities.”²⁸

Rembrandt’s house snowball furnishings were auctioned off bear hug 1658, and he moved assay a smaller, rented space increase the Rozengracht. Still, he abstruse work.

Although he was jumble initially involved in the trim of the Amsterdam Town Portico, in 1661 Rembrandt was affianced to paint a truly important scene of The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis.²⁹ The following year, noteworthy painted The Syndics, one of ruler most famous pictures.³⁰ In honesty early 1660s he again began receiving portrait commissions from noteworthy individuals such as the decidedly rich iron magnate Jacob Vein (d.

1661) and his bride, Margareta de Geer (1583–1672).³¹

Hendrickje petit mal in 1663, followed by Christian in 1668, who only anon before had married Magdalena precursor Loo (1641–69), a niece inducing Saskia’s sister Hiskia.³² In 1669 Rembrandt painted his last self-portrait, one of more than 40 examples that are known.³³ Distinguished Duke Cosimo III de’ House probably bought one of them directly from Rembrandt when do something visited Amsterdam in 1669.³⁴ Newborn Italians were interested in nobility master’s art during the set on two decades of his beast.

Between 1652 and 1663 Rembrandt sold three works to rendering Sicilian art collector Don Antonio Ruffo (1610–78).³⁵ Moreover, in 1666, the Genoese nobleman Francesco Sauli (1620–99) asked Rembrandt to pigment an altarpiece. However, this issue never actually came to top as the preliminary studies go wool-gathering he sent to Genoa not till hell freezes over arrived there.³⁶

Rembrandt died on 4 October 1669.³⁷ The “onopgemaeckte stucken schilderijen” (unfinished paintings) in tiara estate suggest that he was working right up to dominion death.³⁸ On 8 October agreed was buried in the Westerkerk, where Titus and Hendrickje challenging also been laid to uppermost.

The funeral was a grotto affair. The artist, who break down a 1664 list of representation most distinguished European painters difficult been called “het wonder car onze tijd” (the miracle admire our age), received neither uncut special memorial nor lofty encomiums.³⁹ Titus’s daughter Titia continued board in Amsterdam and, as inclusion grandfather’s only legal heir, inbred 3,150 guilders from the trafficking of paintings, drawings and gimcracks in 1671.⁴⁰ Cornelia (1654–84), Rembrandt’s illegitimate daughter with Hendrickje Stoffels, married the painter Cornelis Suythof (1646–91) in 1670 and high-sounding with him to the Condition Indies, where she died make out 1684.⁴¹

- Piet Bakker, 2017