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near Leiden, Holland on July 15, 1606. His initial studies
of Latin did not interest him and he left to study art. The first three years he
studied under Jacob van Swanenburch, followed by studies under Pieter
Lastman(Amsterdam) and Jacob Pinas (Haarlem). Having mastered the
techniques, Rembrandt. returned to Leiden, where he was highly
regarded as an artist, so much so that at the age of only twenty-two
he took on his first pupils. In 1631, he settled in Amsterdam, where
he married Saskia van Uylenburgh, cousin of a successful art dealer.
This helped to advance his career, particularly among wealthy patrons
Rembrandt died there in 1669. He painted right up to the end of his
life, producing an estimated more than 600 paintings as well as a
multitude of etchings. He was also the most prolific in creating his
self-portraits (about 60). Interestingly, he included dogs in many of
his works, because he liked them so much.
Although Rembrandt, a baroque artist, is considered
one of the greatest painters in the history of western art, famous for
his dramatic use of light and dark, he is recognized as the most
accomplished etcher ever, unrivaled until well into the 19th
century. His use of scribbling strokes to create unusually expressive
lines, often achieving special effects by combining etching and
dry point needle, earned his international renown even during his
lifetime. His style and technique had a profound impact on both his
contemporaries and well as later artists. |
