Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-69) was born in Leydon, Holland, the son of a miller. He spent a year at Leyden University. Later he set up shop in Leyton and became a follower of Caravaggio. His earlier known works known to us are dated in 1626. His paintings is well-known for the contrast between light and darkness, just as Caravaggio. After he became famous his works were sought after all over Europe. Rembrandt flourished and spent a fortune acquiring artistic curiosities.

1. Rembrandt
First created 25 May 2019. Version 1.0 - 25 May 2019. Daperro. London.
A Supreme Dutch Genius

2. Rembrandt born in Leiden 1606, at
the beginning of the ‘Dutch
Golden Age’. He came from a
reasonably wealthy family. His
father was a miller.
Self Portrait 1630 – Age 24
He begin an apprenticeship as a
painter in Leiden. In 1624, he
moved to Amsterdam and studied
under Pieter Lastman. Afterward
he set up his own workshop in
Leiden, at 22.
He earned his first commission
from the Court of the Hague in
1931. This marks the beginning of
his successful professional career.

3. Rembrandt painted this at the age of
20. He was studying in Amsterdam.
Tobit & Anna 1626 – Age 20

4. The two old men were
probably St Peter and St Paul.
It depicts upon the
fundamental theological
dispute between the apostles
on the question of converting
Gentile into Christian.
The theological dispute had
resonance in the Dutch
Republic at the 1620s, between
fractions within the Dutch
Calvinist Faith. It reflected the
religious tolerance between
different faith.
Two Scholars Disputing 1628

5. Old Woman Reading. c1631
The woman, who could be
Rembrandt’s mother, modelled for
him. The subject of this painting
could be the prophetess Anna
reading a sacred book.

6. This is one of his major
work. Mary and
Joseph presented Jesus
at the temple. The
priest Simeon
recognised Jesus as
the Messiah as he
kneed down and took
Jesus into his arm.
Simeon’s Song of Praise. c1631

7. The First Masterpiece. 1632.

8. Anatomy Lesson. 1632.

9. Dr Tulp. 1632.
It is Rembrandt first large scale painting
which consolidated his reputation. It was his
first guild painting. All the members were
united by their interests. The painting was
commissioned by Amsterdam‘s surgeons
Guild.

10. Looten. 1632.

11. Woman Holding a Fan. 1633.
A confident young woman with a
fan, looking directly out of the
life-size painting.
Between 1634 and 1639, the
Prince of Orange commissioned
five paintings of the Passion.
Rembrandt became an expensive
painter. He asked for the prince
“at least 1200 florins” for each
painting (an average family lived
on 500 florins a year).

12. Sophonisba. 1634.

13. Saskia as Flora 1634.
Rembrandt married Saskia in 22 July
1634. She became his favourite model.
The painting shows the young bride,
lost in thought.
Unfortunately the marriage did not last
long as Saskia, when in 1642 she
caught an illness and died. She gave
to four children, only her youngest son
survived into adulthood.
You can see the tenderness in this painting
when compare it with the Woman with a Fan.

14. Aechje Claesdr 1634.

15. Writing on the Wall. 1635.

16. Writing on the Wall (Detail). 1635.
The Babylonian King Belshazzar was
feasting with a thousand of his wives
and concubines, commanded the
gold and silver vessels which had
been looted from the temple of
Jerusalem to be filled with wine. At
this point, a disembodied finger
appeared and wrote a message on
the wall that king Belshazzar days
were numbered and his kingdom
would be divided. On that very night
Belshazzar was slain.

17. Lady with a Plume. c1636.
1636 marked the period of tulip
mania. Speculation fever pushed
contract prices for some tulip bulbs
reached extraordinary levels.
Finally on February 1637 the
speculation bubble burst.
1635 was a happy time for
Rembrandt. He and his young
wife, Saskia moved into their own
house in Amsterdam. Rembrandt
was becoming a very successful
painter.

18. Danae (Detail). 1636.

19. Danae (Detail). 1636.
One of Rembrandt best nude painting of a distinctively plump woman. It was felt
plumpness was beautiful in woman, at the time.

20. Samson 1636.

21. Self Portrait with Saskia 1636.
Wealthy and happily married.
Rembrandt is enjoying a
prosperous life. A growing number
of students were studying under
him. With his expensive passion of
collections, Rembrandt presented
himself at his height of success.

22. Stone Bridge. 1638.

23. Hunter with Bitten 1639.
In 1639 Rembrandt was making
good money. He decided to move
to a prominent newly built house
(now housed the Rembrandt House
Museum) in a good part of
Amsterdam. It was financed with
a mortgage of 13,000 guilder.
This was a main cause for his later
financial difficulties, as the Dutch
economy collapsed after the Tulip
Mania.

24. Still Life Peacocks 1639.

25. Man in Oriental Costume, 1639.

26. Self Portrait, 1648.
At this time Rembrandt studied Italian
Renaissance art the influence of which
is evident in this classical poise by
Titian.

27. Agatha Bas, 1648.
Agatha Bas was the wife of a
wealthy Amsterdam merchant.
She was 29 years old at the time.
They lived in the same street as
Rembrandt.

28. Night Watch 1642.

29. Night Watch (Detail) 1642.
This is a huge painting. It depicted a
group of citizens’ militia setting off
on patrol, led by Captain Cocq (with
red sash), who was a wealthy man
and rising rapidly in the city
government. He took over the
command of a company of militia.
Lieutenant Ruytenburgh was the
commanding officer of the company.
The militia had played a heroic role
in the long (independent) war
against Spain. By this time militia as
a fighting force was in decline.
This is a major commission for
Rembrandt and he worked hard on it
from Dec 1640 to mid 1942.

30. Night Watch (Detail) 1642.
This little girl was highlighted in the
painting. A dead fowl is hanging on her
waist alluding to the Captain’s name
Frans Banning Coq.

31. Night Watch (Detail) 1642.

32. Night Watch (Detail) 1642.

33. Woman Taken in Adultery (Detail) 1644.

34. Holy Family with Angels. 1645.
He had many admirers and most
critics admitted he was unsurpassed
in his mastery of light and shade. He
was an artist that expressed his inner
most feelings and flout conventions,
in particular in his later years.

35. Girl Leaning. 1645
Portrait of a relax little
girl, with any ulterior
motives. He did not
seek to dramatize the
portrait.

36. Winter Landscape. 1646

37. Susanna. 1647

38. Christ at Emmaus. 1648

39. Bathsheba. 1654
The model for this painting
was probably Hendrickje
Stoffels. In the Old
Testament, Bathsheba was
the wife of a soldier in King
David’s army. Smitten by
her beauty, David had her
bought to him and callously
seduced her. Rembrandt
shows her summonsed by a
letter, a detail not in the
Bible.

40. Woman Bathing. 1654
Hendrickje Stoffels was Rembrandt
companion and common law wife.
Rembrandt seldom completely
finished hs later works. This is an
example of this. This painting might
have been intended as a biblical
subject but there is no real clue to
this.
A lovely sensual painting with the
woman lifting her skirt but not
revealing herself. Note the velvety
dark colour of the background
contrast with her bright grown and
flesh.

41. Slaughtered Ox. c1655
Rembrandt had a very inquisitive
personality. He had shown his
interests in a variety of ways. He
also spent fortune on his collection
of exotic items. He was constantly
alert as he wandered the streets of
Amsterdam. By this time he was
utter disregard for public taste, by
chosen a butchered carcass.
Rembrandt had often painted
violent scenes of martyrdom and
crucifixion. He was willing to depict
the flesh in all its decrepitude and
decay.

42. Self Portrait. 1657.
In 1654, Rembrandt had a
daughter, Cornelia by
Hendrickje, his common law
wife. Now he was no longer
earning a small fortune. He had
difficulty in keeping up the
payment on his expensive
house. He began selling his
collections at auction. In 1656
he transferred ownership of the
house to Titus and was declared
insolvent.

43. Titus. c1657.
Rembrandt’s son, Titus

44. Two Moors. 1661.

45. Self Portrait. 1661.
This is the portrait that makes
Rembrandt, one of the greatest painter.
He painted it with utter honesty.

46. Elderly Man. 1667.
The relaxed elderly Man with his
jacket open and his collar
loosened and his hat tilted back.
It unlike most portraits which
people normally looked their
best.
This is a virtuoso portrait and
Rembrandt knew exactly what
he was doing. In some places
he used his palette knife and
elsewhere he scratched in the
wet paint with the handle of his
brush.

47. Jewish Bride. 1667.

48. 1606– 15 July, born in Leiden
Timeline
1620 – 16 May, Enrols in the University.
1619 – As apprentice to Jacob Isaacszoon
1624 – 6 months with Pieter Lanstman in Amsterdam.
1629 – Painted his earliest self-portrait.
1625– Set up as independent painter in Leiden.
1634 – Got married Became a citizen of Amsterdam.
1641 – His son Titus was born
1642 – His wife died.
1639 – Moved into his large “Rembrandt house”
1656 – Bankrupted.
1649 – Rembrandt ordered by court to pay maintenance allowance
of 200 guilders to Geertje Dircks, his son’s nanny.
Anna Accused by Tobit
of stealing the kid.
1628
The Anatomy
Lesson of Dr. Tulp.
1632
Night Watch.
1642
Self Portrait. 1661.
1669– After birth of his grand daughter, Rembrandt died 4 Oct.
1654 – Birth of his illegitimated daughter, Cornelia
1658 - Move out of “Rembrandt House” moved into rented house.
1662 - His companion Hendrickje Stoffels died (not married)
1668 - His son Titus died soon after marriage. He was a notary.

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Available free for non-commercial and personal use.
The
End
Music – Ernesto Cortazar. Angelica.

50. Dutch & Flemish Painters