All Rembrandt paintings with titles. The most famous paintings by Rembrandt

REMBRANDT, HARMENS VAN RHYNE(Rembrandt, Harmenz van Rijn) (1606–1669) - the greatest artist, painter, draftsman, etcher who lived in the 17th century. in Holland.

On July 15, 1606, in Leiden, the wealthy miller Harmen Gerrits and his wife Neeltge Willems van Zeitbroek had their sixth child, named Rembrandt. The mill was located not far from the Rhine that crossed the city, so Harmen Gerrits began to be called van Rijn, and the whole family received this addition to the surname.

Parents, giving Rembrandt a good education, wanted him to become a scientist or official. He studied at the Latin school, and then from 1620 at the University of Leiden, which he left without graduating. The craving for drawing, which manifested itself since childhood, led him to the workshop of the local painter Jacob van Swanenburg, who taught Rembrandt the basics of drawing and painting and introduced him to the history of art. After studying with him for three years, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam in 1623 and continued his studies with the famous painter Pieter Lastman (1583–1633). But the training lasted only six months. In 1624, Rembrandt returned to Leiden and there, together with his friend Jan Lievens, opened his painting workshop.

In the 17th century In Holland, after the victory over Spain, Catholicism was prohibited; Protestantism does not allow picturesque decoration in churches. Therefore, the church, which was previously the largest customer of painting, is losing this role, and the large and middle bourgeoisie, wealthy citizens, are coming to the fore. Paintings intended to decorate burgher houses must now meet new objectives. Sizes change, new subjects appear, a division into genres of painting occurs, interest in the everyday genre, landscape, still life, portrait intensifies, and a type of group portrait develops. Rembrandt learns from the artists of the past and his contemporaries, mastering the techniques of painting and engraving. He studies the art of Italy from casts, engravings, copies and perceives the humanistic beginning of Italian art. The Baroque style, which originated in the 17th century, also had a great influence on his work, but the sophistication, pomp, and emphasized theatricality of this style were far from Rembrandt’s searches. He was a fan of the work of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573–1510), the founder of the realistic movement in European painting of the 17th century.

Already in Rembrandt’s portraits of the Leiden period, the artist’s interest in the inner world of man is visible. Paying primary attention to revealing the mental state of those portrayed, he omits secondary details ( Portrait of an old warrior, OK. 1630, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum). He created the first narrative paintings ( Expulsion of traders from the temple, 1626, Moscow, Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin; Changed, 1627, Berlin - Dahlem), canvases in the center of which are scientists ( Conversations of the Wise Men, 1628, Melbourne, National Gallery; Scientist at the table, 1628, London, National Gallery; Portrait of a scientist, 1631, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum). Carefully studying the art of engraving, he creates many drawings, engravings, and etchings.

At the end of 1631, Rembrandt, a famous portrait painter and author of historical paintings, moved to Amsterdam, the largest trading city. One of the first paintings painted by Rembrandt in Amsterdam, the Bala painting Anatomy Lesson by Dr. Tulpa(1632, The Hague, Mauritshuis), belonging to the tradition of group portraits. The artist conveys the portrait likeness of all the characters, but unlike the traditions of a group portrait, where each of the portraits occupies an equal position, here all the characters are emotionally subordinate to the Tulpa. The painting aroused great interest, and Rembrandt became one of the fashionable young portrait painters of Amsterdam.

In 1634, Rembrandt married the daughter of the former burgomaster of Leeuwarden, Saskia van Uylenburg, a noble and wealthy patrician. After marriage he buys a big house. Furnishing the house with luxurious things, the artist creates a rich collection, which included works by Raphael, Giorgione, Dürer, Mantegna, van Eyck, engravings from works by Michelangelo, Titian. Rembrandt collected Persian miniatures, vases, shells, authentic antique busts, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, Venetian glass, expensive oriental fabrics, costumes of various nations, tapestries, and musical instruments.

In the 30s, Rembrandt was a prosperous, successful, wealthy artist, which is reflected in his works. In many paintings he depicts his beloved wife Saskia ( Portrait of a smiling Saskia, 1633, Dresden, Art Gallery; Flora, 1634, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum; Samson's wedding, 1638, Dresden, State Art Gallery). Particularly notable is the famous Self-portrait with Saskia on knees(1635, Dresden, State Art Gallery). He shows himself to be a cheerful gentleman with a glass of wine, who hugs the half-turned Saskia, sitting on his lap with her back to the viewer. The picture is filled with vitality, energy and permeated with love for his wife. Famous paintings on biblical themes date back to the same period ( Belshazzar's Feast,1634, London, National Gallery; Sacrifice Abraham, 1635, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum), landscapes ( Landscape with a pond and arched bridge, 1638, Berlin - Dahlem; Landscape with a storm, 1639, Brunswick, State Museum of Duke Anton Ulrich), ceremonial portraits, etchings. This is the time when Rembrandt perfected his painting and drawing techniques, giving his creations the utmost expressiveness and depth. Studying traditional writing methods and approaches to revealing themes, he increasingly moves away from these traditions in his work. Instead of smooth, glazed brushstrokes, which are applied in thin layers of transparent and translucent paints on top of a dense layer of paints and create a single pictorial surface of the canvas, he paints pictures with sharp, impasto strokes, gradually abandoning detailed details.

By the early 40s, Rembrandt was a popular and highly paid painter. During the 1930s, he painted about 60 commissioned portraits. He has about 15 students. One of Rembrandt's most famous paintings from this period is Danae(1636–1646, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum). Having placed the mythological heroine in a luxurious alcove of a rich burgher Dutch house, he masterfully describes the velvet canopy, elegantly embroidered pillows, admires the rays of golden light, soft waves flooding Danae’s beautiful naked body.

He began working on the painting during a period of family happiness, at the zenith of fame. But in subsequent years, much changed: Rembrandt’s three children died, a few months after the birth of his last son, Titus, his beloved wife Saskia died (1642), and he soon lost his mother and sisters. One of the last portraits of his wife was Last portrait of Saskia(1643, Berlin – Dahlem).

In the early 40s, Rembrandt received an order from the captain of the rifle detachment, Frans Banning-Kok, for a large group portrait of the detachment for the main hall of the new building of the Amsterdam rifle guild. Famous is being created The night Watch(1642, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum) (3.87–5.02 m). The squad of 18 figures is a single cohesive group surrounded by townspeople. The marching arrows emerge from the arch of the building into the illuminated square, under a waving flag. The group portrait takes on the character of a unique historical painting in which Rembrandt embodies his idea of civic ideals. The opinions of contemporaries about the painting were divided: some immediately saw the masterpiece, others, including the customers, found that the painting did not meet the traditions of a group portrait. Therefore, they hung it in another, smaller place not intended for it, cutting off the canvas on all sides, which disrupted the composition of the painting. Despite this, she is an unsurpassed example of a group portrait, where each character is given an acute psychological characteristic.

The 50s and 60s were marked by the creation of outstanding masterpieces, as well as the deepening conflict between the artist and the authorities. The authorities were displeased by the fact that Hendrikje Stoffels, a former servant in Rembrandt’s house, became his common-law wife. The artist could not officially marry her, because... According to Saskia's will, Rembrandt, upon entering into a new marriage, would be deprived of the right to be the guardian of the inheritance of his son Titus. The Church persecuted Hendrikje for her relationship, which was not sanctified by marriage.

Rembrandt repeatedly depicts Hendrickje, she becomes his model ( Portrait of Hendrikje in rich clothes, 1654, Paris, Louvre; Portrait of Hendrikje Stoffels, 1657–1658, Berlin – Dahlem; the image of Mary in the painting Holy family, 1645, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum, also inspired by her features).

Rembrandt is almost completely deprived of orders. At this time he painted paintings on biblical and mythological themes: Joseph, accused by the wife of Pentephry(1655, Washington, National Gallery), Christ in Emmaus(1648, Paris, Louvre). At the center of Rembrandt’s work is man, his inner world, experiences and joys. Paying great attention to portraits, he focuses on revealing the spiritual world of his models: Portrait old ladies(1654, Moscow, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts), Portrait of an old man in red(1654, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum), Titus reading(c. 1657, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), Portrait Jan Syksa(1654, Amsterdam, Six Collection). The artist’s later self-portraits also belong to this type of portrait, striking in their multifaceted psychological characteristics: Self-portrait(c. 1652, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), Self-portrait(1660, Paris, Louvre). Rembrandt received painting commissions that were so rare at that time: Aristotle meditating bust of Homer(1653, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Having purchased a luxurious house during the years of financial prosperity, Rembrandt paid only half the amount. The remaining debts, especially after Saskia's death, gradually led the artist to bankruptcy. Creditors file formal lawsuits and seek a court order to imprison them. The artist’s persecution campaign also includes Saskia’s relatives, with whom Rembrandt had a conflict during Saskia’s lifetime, because they claimed that the artist was squandering his wife's fortune. Although at that time Rembrandt made a fortune through his labor that exceeded that of his wife, he collected a magnificent collection of artistic values. Again the church condemns his cohabitation with Hendrickje, their daughter Cornelia is declared illegitimate. In 1656, by a court decision, the Amsterdam City Hall declared Rembrandt an insolvent debtor, an inventory of the property was taken, and in 1656–1658 it was sold. The real value of the artist’s property was several times greater than the size of his debts: the collection was valued at 17 thousand guilders. However, it was sold for only 5 thousand, the house was valued at half its original cost. But not all creditors were satisfied. And the court ruled that all paintings that the artist would create must be sold to pay off debts; the court also deprived Rembrandt of the right to have property, except for wearables and painting supplies, which meant a miserable existence. Rembrandt's family moves to the poorest quarter of Amsterdam. After the ruin of his father, Titus, in order to make his property completely inaccessible to Rembrandt's creditors, draws up a will in which he leaves his entire fortune to his sister Cornelia, and appoints Rembrandt as a guardian with the right to use the money.

Despite the difficult situation, Rembrandt continues to paint. These are mainly self-portraits, portraits of relatives ( Portrait of Titus, 1660, Baltimore, Jacobs Collection), again turns to the image of the biblical David ( David before Saul, 1657, The Hague, Mauritshuis).

In 1660, Titus and Hendrickje opened an antique shop, where Rembrandt was hired as an expert. And although, according to a court decision, the paintings newly painted by Rembrandt were to be transferred to the disposal of creditors, the contract for his employment gave the artist the opportunity to transfer his works to an antique store. This allowed the family to increase their income and buy a house. Once again the artist turns to self-portraits and paintings on a biblical theme ( Artaxerxes, Haman and Esther, 1660, Moscow, Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin). Among other artists, he receives an order to decorate the Amsterdam City Hall ( Conspiracy of Julius Civillis or Oath of the Botavs, 1661, Stockholm, National Museum). The painting (about 30 square meters in size) is returned to the artist “for correction.” But Rembrandt refused to make changes, and the order was given to another artist. On part of this canvas, Rembrandt completed another order - the famous group portrait Syndics(1662, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum). The syndics, foremen, and corporations of the clothiers' workshop are sitting at the table in formal black suits. The clarity and balance of the composition, the parsimony and precision of the selection of details, the creation of a complete image of a group of people, the unusual angle emphasizing the monumental nature of the image, the solemnity of what is happening - all this classifies the picture as a great masterpiece of painting.

In 1663, Hendrikje dies, and in her will she leaves an antique store to Titus and a small inheritance to Rembrandt. Rembrandt becomes the guardian of his daughter Cornelia. After a two-year creative break, he painted a number of famous paintings: David and Uriah(1665, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum), Jewish bride(1665, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum), Family portrait(1668–1669, Breungschweig, Duke Anton Ulrich State Museum). But the true apotheosis of Rembrandt’s entire work was the painting Return of the Prodigal son(1668–1669, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum). The artist repeatedly addressed this topic (sketches and sketches can be found already in the 30s). On a huge canvas (260 × 205 cm), the kneeling figure of a son, returning to his father’s roof, is shown from the back. His figure embodies the repentance of a man who has gone through the tragic path of learning about life. The wise and spiritual face of an old father, sanctified by great kindness, an accepting and forgiving son, is a masterpiece of Rembrandt, a master who knows how to penetrate the soul of his characters and show all their experiences on canvas. This is a picture about suffering and great love.

In February 1668, Titus married Magdalena van Loo, but died soon after. This dealt a crushing blow to Rembrandt, and on October 8, 1669 he died in the arms of his daughter Cornelia.

Rembrandt's creative heritage is enormous: about 600 paintings, almost 300 etchings and 1,400 drawings. It affected the work of his students, the most famous of whom are Gerrit Dou, Govart Flink, Samuel van Hoogstraten, Karel Fabricius, Nicholas Mas. It also influenced the development of world art as a whole, although it was appreciated many years later. A wide thematic range, humanism, the search for expressive artistic means, and the greatest skill allowed the artist to bring to life the advanced ideas of the time. The emotionality of his works is great, created by the color of the paintings, which is built on a combination of warm close tones and the finest shades of color. Rembrandt left a huge artistic heritage, creating paintings on biblical, historical, mythological and everyday themes, portraits and landscapes, and was a great master of engraving and etching. He gave central attention in his work to man, his inner world, his experiences, and the revelation of his spiritual wealth. The creative figure of Rembrandt stands tall for centuries along with the largest representatives of world art.

Nina Bayor

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn is the most famous painter, etcher and draftsman of the Golden Age. Universal recognition and glory, a sharp decline and poverty - this is how one can characterize the biography of the great genius of art. Rembrandt sought to convey the soul of a person through portraits; rumors and guesses are still circulating about many of the artist’s works, shrouded in mystery.

The beginning of the 17th century was calm for the Dutch state, which gained the independence of the republic at the time of the revolution. Industrial production, agriculture and trade developed in the country.

In the ancient city of Leidin, located in the province of South Holland, in a house on Vedesteg, Rembrandt, born on July 15, 1607, spent his childhood.

The boy grew up in a large family, in which he was the sixth child. The father of the future artist, Harmen van Rijn, was a wealthy man who owned a mill and malthouse. Among other things, Rhein's bath property included two more houses, and he also received a significant dowry from his wife Cornelia Neltje, so the large family lived in abundance. The future artist’s mother was the daughter of a baker and knew cooking, so the family table was replete with delicious dishes.

Despite their wealth, the Harmen family lived modestly, observing strict Catholic rules. The artist’s parents, even after the Dutch Revolution, did not change their attitude towards faith.

Self-portrait of Rembrandt at age 23

Rembrandt was kind to his mother throughout his life. This is expressed in a portrait painted in 1639, which depicts a wise old woman with a kind and slightly sad look.

Social events and the luxurious life of wealthy people were alien to the family. It is worth assuming that in the evenings the van Rijns gathered at the table and read books and the Bible: this is what most Dutch citizens did during the “Golden Age”.

The windmill that Harmen owned was located on the banks of the Rhine: before the boy’s gaze a beautiful landscape of an azure river opened up, illuminated by the rays of the sun making their way through the small window of the building and passing through the mists of flour dust. Perhaps, due to childhood memories, the future artist learned to skillfully master paint, light and shadow.

As a child, Rembrandt grew up to be an observant boy. The open spaces of the streets of Leidin provided sources of inspiration: in the trading markets one could meet dissimilar people of different nationalities and learn to sketch their faces on paper.

Initially, the boy went to a Latin school, but he was not interested in studies. Young Rembrandt did not like exact sciences, preferring drawing.

The future artist's childhood was happy, as his parents saw his son's hobbies, and when the boy turned 13, he was sent to study with the Dutch artist Jacob van Swanenburg. Little is known from the biography of Rembrandt’s first teacher; the representative of late mannerism did not have a huge artistic heritage, which is why it is almost impossible to trace Jacob’s influence on the development of Rembrandt’s style.

In 1623, the young man went to the capital, where his second teacher was the painter Peter Lastman, who taught Rembrandt for six months in painting and engraving.

Painting

His training with his mentor was successful; impressed by Lastman’s paintings, the young man quickly mastered the drawing technique. Bright and saturated colors, the play of shadows and light, as well as meticulous elaboration of even the smallest details of the flora - this is what Peter passed on to his eminent student.

In 1627, Rembrandt returned from Amsterdam to his hometown. Confident in his abilities, the artist, together with his friend Jan Lievens, opens his own school of painting, which quickly gained popularity among the Dutch. Lievens and Rembrandt kept pace with each other, sometimes young people carefully worked on one canvas, putting part of their own style into the drawing.

The twenty-year-old young artist achieved fame through his detailed early works, which include:

“Stoning of St. Stephen the Apostle” (1625),
"Palamedea before Agamemnon" (1626),
"David with the Head of Goliath" (1627),
"The Rape of Europa" (1632),

The young man continues to draw inspiration from the streets of the city, walking through squares in order to meet a random passer-by and capture his portrait with a chisel on a wooden plank. Rembrandt also made a series of engravings with self-portraits and portraits of numerous relatives.

Thanks to the talent of the young painter, Rembrandt was noticed by the poet Constantin Heygens, who admired the paintings of van Rijn and Lievens, calling them promising artists. “Judas Returns Thirty Pieces of Silver,” painted by a Dutchman in 1629, he compares with famous paintings by Italian masters, but finds shortcomings in the drawing. Thanks to Constantine's connections, Rembrandt soon acquired wealthy art admirers: due to the mediation of Hagens, the Prince of Orange commissioned several religious works from the artist, such as Before Pilate (1636).

Real success for an artist comes in Amsterdam. On June 8, 1633, Rembrandt met the daughter of a wealthy burgher, Saskia van Uylenburch, and gained a strong position in society. The artist painted most of his paintings while in the capital of the Netherlands.

Rembrandt is inspired by the beauty of his beloved, so he often paints her portraits. Three days after the wedding, van Rijn depicted a woman in a silver pencil wearing a wide-brimmed hat. Saskia appeared in the Dutchman’s paintings in a cozy home environment. The image of this plump-cheeked woman appears on many canvases, for example, the mysterious girl in the painting “Night Watch” strongly resembles the artist’s beloved.

In 1632, Rembrandt was glorified by the painting “The Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Tulp.” The fact is that van Rijn moved away from the canons of standard group portraits, which were depicted with faces turned towards the viewer. Extremely realistic portraits of the doctor and his students made the artist famous.

In 1635, the famous painting based on the biblical story “The Sacrifice of Abraham” was painted, which was highly appreciated in secular society.

In 1642, van Rijn received an order from the Shooting Society for a group portrait to decorate the new building with canvas. The painting was mistakenly called “Night Watch”. It was stained with soot, and only in the 17th century did researchers come to the conclusion that the action unfolding on the canvas took place during the daytime.

Rembrandt meticulously depicted every detail of the musketeers in motion: as if at a certain moment time stood still when the militia came out of the dark courtyard so that van Rijn captured them on the canvas.

Customers did not like the fact that the Dutch painter deviated from the canons that developed in the 17th century. Then group portraits were ceremonial, and the participants were depicted full-face without any static.

According to scientists, this painting was the reason for the artist’s bankruptcy in 1653, as it scared away potential clients.

Technique and paintings

Rembrandt believed that the true goal of the artist was to study nature, so all the painter’s paintings turned out to be too photographic: the Dutchman tried to convey every emotion of the person depicted.

Like many talented masters of the Golden Age, Rembrandt has religious motives. Van Rijn’s canvases depict not just captured faces, but entire scenes with their own history.

In the painting “The Holy Family,” which was painted in 1645, the faces of the characters are natural; the Dutchman seems to want to use his brush and paint to transport viewers into the cozy atmosphere of a simple peasant family. One cannot trace any pompousness in van Rijn's works. said that Rembrandt painted the Madonna in the form of a Dutch peasant woman. Indeed, throughout his life, the artist drew inspiration from the people around him; it is possible that on the canvas a woman, copied from a maid, is cradling a baby.

Rembrandt's painting "The Holy Family", 1646

Like many artists, Rembrandt is full of mysteries: after the death of the creator, researchers pondered for a long time about the secrets of his paintings.

For example, van Rijn worked on the painting “Danae” (or “Aegina”) for 11 years, starting in 1636. The canvas depicts a young maiden after waking up from sleep. The plot is based on the ancient Greek myth of Danae, the daughter of the king of Argos and the mother of Perseus.

Researchers of the canvas did not understand why the naked maiden did not look like Saskia. However, after an x-ray, it became clear that Danae was originally drawn as Eulenburch, but after the death of his wife, van Rijn returned to the painting and changed Danae’s facial features.

There were also disputes among art critics about the heroine depicted on the canvas. Rembrandt did not sign the title of the painting, and the interpretation of the plot was complicated by the absence of golden rain, according to legend, in the form of which Zeus appeared to Danae. Scientists were also confused by the wedding ring on the girl’s ring finger, which was not consistent with ancient Greek mythology. Rembrandt's masterpiece "Danae" is in the Russian Hermitage Museum.

“The Jewish Bride” (1665) is another mysterious painting by van Rijn. The painting received this name at the beginning of the 19th century, but it is still unknown who is depicted on the canvas, because a young girl and a man are dressed in ancient costumes reminiscent of biblical clothing. Also popular is the painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son” (1669), which took 6 years to create.

Fragment of Rembrandt’s painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son”

If we talk about Rembrandt’s style of painting, the artist used a minimum of colors, while still managing to make the paintings “alive”, thanks to the play of light and shadows.

Van Rijn also successfully manages to depict facial expressions: all the people in the paintings of the great painter seem to be alive. For example, in the portrait of an old man - Rembrandt's father (1639) every wrinkle is visible, as well as a wise and sad look.

Personal life

In 1642, Saskia died of tuberculosis; the lovers had a son, Titus (three other children died in infancy), with whom Rembrandt maintained friendly relations. At the end of 1642, the artist met with the young lady Gertje Dirks. Saskia's parents were upset by the way the widower disposed of the dowry while living in luxury. Later, Dirks sues her lover for breaking his promise to marry her. From the second woman the artist had a daughter, Cornelia.

Rembrandt's painting "Saskia as the Goddess Flora"

In 1656, Rembrandt, due to financial difficulties, declared himself bankrupt and left for a secluded house on the outskirts of the capital.

Van Rijn’s life did not progress, but, on the contrary, went into decline: a happy childhood, wealth and recognition were replaced by departed customers and a beggarly old age. The artist's mood can be seen in his canvases. So, while living with Saskia, he painted joyful and sunny paintings, for example, “Self-portrait with Saskia on his knees” (1635). On the canvas, van Rijn laughs with a sincere laugh, and a radiant light illuminates the room.

If earlier the artist’s paintings were detailed, then at the stage of late work Rembrandt uses broad strokes, and the sun’s rays are replaced by darkness.

The painting “The Conspiracy of Julius Civilis,” painted in 1661, was not paid for by customers because the faces of the participants in the conspiracy were not carefully worked out, unlike van Rijn’s previous works.

Rembrandt's painting "Portrait of the Son of Titus"

Shortly before his death, living in poverty, in 1665, Rembrandt painted a self-portrait in the image of Zeuxis. Zeukis is an ancient Greek painter who died an ironic death: the artist was amused by the portrait he painted of Aphrodite in the form of an old woman, and he died of laughter. In the portrait, Rembrandt laughs; the artist did not hesitate to put a dose of black humor into the canvas.

Death

Rembrandt interred his son Titus, who died of the plague, in 1668. This sad event sharply worsened the artist’s state of mind. Van Rijn died on October 4, 1669 and was buried in the Dutch Westerkerk church in Amsterdam.

Monument to Rembrandt at Rembrandt Square in Amsterdam

During his lifetime, the artist painted about 350 canvases and 100 drawings. It took humanity two centuries to fully appreciate this great artist.

After training, the artist returned to Leiden, where, together with a friend, he opened his own workshop and began to recruit students. He later moved to Amsterdam and married Saskia van Uylenburch, whose family connections contributed to the artist's popularity and increased royalties for his many commissioned portraits and artwork.

Like many great artists, Rembrandt was not happy in his family life. Three of the couple's four children died in infancy. A year after the birth of their only surviving son, Saskia also died before the age of 30.

Later, Hendrikje's housekeeper Stoffels often posed for Rembrandt's portraits. Although he was a famous artist, in 1656 he had to declare bankruptcy and sell off his property. During this difficult period, the master produced his best works.

What photographers can learn from Rembrandt's paintings:

The characteristic features of light give an idea of the harmonious relationship between the quantity, direction and intensity of lighting.
Texture and colors play a role in determining the mood of a painting. A photographer can apply this to photography.
The warmth of these portraits makes them very lively and artistic.
The light does not completely fill the frame, but only falls in a certain area that requires lighting.
Amazing composition and distribution of subjects in the picture, regardless of their number in the scene.
Actions, posture, environment and frozen moments give a clear idea of the character's mood.
The intensity of the dramatic relationship between light and shadow conveys an understanding of the significance of the composition of the picture.
Studying Rembrandt's paintings and engravings is a direct path to perfection, it gives an understanding of aspects of art.

The great Dutchman Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn was born in 1606 in the city of Leiden. After studying as an apprentice, at the age of 19 he began to work as an independent artist.

In his first biblical compositions, the influence of the Italian Baroque is noticeable: in the sharp contrasts of chiaroscuro and the dynamics of the composition. But Rembrandt soon found his own style in the use of chiaroscuro to express emotions in portraits.

In 1632, the painter moved to Amsterdam and married a rich patrician. During this period he was especially successful, famous and happy. And his works are saturated with rich colors and breathe joy. He paints large religious compositions, many portraits and self-portraits with his beloved wife.

Rembrandt became especially famous as a portrait painter, painting more than a hundred portraits and dozens of self-portraits during his career. It was in depicting himself that the artist boldly experimented in search of special expressiveness of the face.

Rembrandt was the first to solve the problem of boring group portraits by uniting the people depicted in a common action, which gave the faces and figures a natural ease.

The artist was glorified by a group portrait called “The Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Tulp” (1632), which depicts not even rows of pompous faces, but heroes of a fascinating story, as if caught by the artist in the midst of the action.

Researchers consider the crowning glory of Rembrandt’s talent as a portrait painter to be “The Night Watch” (1642), a commissioned portrait of a rifle society. However, the customers did not accept the painting, rejecting the innovative idea, where instead of lined up shooters, a heroic composition on the theme of the liberation struggle was depicted. To the shooters, among whom were nobles, these images seemed alien and politically untimely.

This rejection became the first tragic chord in the artist’s life. And when his beloved wife died, Rembrandt’s work lost its joyful notes. The 1640s became a period of calm biblical motifs, where the artist more and more subtly revealed the shades of the emotional experiences of the heroes. In his graphics, chiaroscuro plays even more gracefully, creating a dramatic atmosphere.

In Danaë (1647), the artist revealed his aesthetic views on female beauty, challenging the Renaissance. His nude Danae is emphatically far from classical ideals, but sensual and warm, like a living woman.

The period of Rembrandt's creative maturity occurred in the 1650s - a time of difficult life trials. His property was sold at auction for debts, but the painter practically did not fulfill orders. He painted portraits of loved ones, ordinary people and old people. The artist’s special attention, with the help of spots of diffused light, was focused on faces with rich, but subtle emotions, and worn-out hands.

Rembrandt interpreted biblical images in his own way, clearly “down-to-earth” religious legends, depriving them of the otherworldly. He often gave the faces of saints the features of specific people who posed for him for paintings.

By the mid-1650s, the painter had become a true master, skillfully conquering light and color for the sake of emotional expressiveness of images. But he lived out his life in poverty and loneliness, having buried his second wife and son. The artist’s latest works are devoted to reflection on the clash of evil with good in the human soul. The final chord was the master’s main masterpiece, “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” written in 1669, the year of the artist’s death. The repentant son, kneeling, expressed the entire tragedy of a person’s life path, and in the image of his father one can see love itself and endless forgiveness.

The attribution of Rembrandt's paintings is made according to the latest research by a group of reputable scientists on his work and is updated in the course of research currently underway. The "Rembrandt Research Project" was founded in 1968 and set itself the goal of verifying the authenticity and ownership of the master's paintings based on a detailed study of each, using the latest art historical and technical advances in this field.

Album layout and translation - Konstantin (koschey)

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

The largest representative of the Golden Age, artist, engraver, great master of chiaroscuro - and all this is in one name: Rembrandt.

Rembrandt was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden. This great Dutch artist managed to embody in his works the entire spectrum of human experiences with such emotional richness that fine art had never known before.

Life

He grew up in a large family of a wealthy mill owner, Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn. Among other things, Rhein's property included two more houses, and he also received a significant dowry from his wife Cornelia Neltje. The future artist’s mother was the daughter of a baker and knew cooking. Even after the Dutch Revolution, her mother’s family remained faithful to the Catholic faith.

In Leiden, Rembrandt attended the Latin school at the university, but did not like exact sciences and showed the greatest interest in painting. Realizing this fact, his parents at the age of 13 sent Rembrandt to study fine art with the Leiden historical painter Jacob van Swanenburch, who was a Catholic. Rembrandt's works, varied in genre and theme, are imbued with ideas of morality, spiritual beauty and dignity of the ordinary person, an understanding of the incomprehensible complexity of his inner world, the versatility of his intellectual wealth, and the depth of his emotional experiences. Very little information has reached us about Jacob, which is why historians and art critics cannot say for sure about the influence of Swanenberg on Rembrandt’s creative style.

Then, in 1623, he studied in Amsterdam with the then fashionable painter Pieter Lastman, after which, returning to Leiden, he opened his own workshop in 1625 together with his fellow countryman Jan Lievens.

Pitera Lastman trained in Italy and specialized in historical, mythological and biblical subjects. When Rembrandt opened a workshop and began recruiting students, he became significantly famous in a short time. If you look at the artist’s first works, you can immediately understand that Lastman’s style – a passion for diversity and pettiness of execution – had a huge influence on the young artist. For example, his work “The Stoning of St. Stephen" (1629), "Scene from Ancient History" (1626) and "The Baptism of the Eunuch" (1626), very bright, unusually colorful, Rembrandt strives to carefully describe every detail of the material world. Almost all the heroes appear before the viewer dressed in fancy oriental outfits, shining with jewelry, which creates an atmosphere of pomp, pomp, and festivity.

In 1628, the twenty-two-year-old artist was recognized as a “highly famous” master, a famous portrait painter.

The painting “Judas Returns the Silver Pieces” (1629) evoked an enthusiastic review from the famous art connoisseur Constantin Huygens, secretary of the stadtholder Frederick Hendrik of Orange: “... this body trembling with pathetic trepidation is what I prefer to good taste of all times.”

Thanks to Constantine’s connections, Rembrandt soon acquired wealthy art admirers: due to Hagens’s mediation, the Prince of Orange commissioned several religious works from the artist, such as “Christ before Pilate” (1636).

Amsterdam - a bustling port and industrial city, into which goods and curiosities flocked from all over the world, where people grew rich through trade and banking transactions, where outcasts of feudal Europe flocked in search of refuge, and where the well-being of wealthy burghers coexisted with depressing poverty, has strong ties with the artist .

Rembrandt's Amsterdam period began with the stunning success brought to him by The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp (1632, The Hague, Mauritshuis), which changed the tradition of Dutch group portraits. Rembrandt contrasted the usual demonstration of people of the general profession posing for the artist with the dramaturgy of a freely decided scene, the participants of which - members of the guild of surgeons, listening to their colleague, are united by intellectually and spiritually active inclusion in the process of scientific research.

The thirties in Rembrandt's life were a period of fame, wealth and family happiness. He received many orders, was surrounded by students, was passionate about collecting works of Italian, Flemish and Dutch painters, ancient sculpture, minerals, sea plants, ancient weapons, and objects of oriental art; When working on paintings, exhibits from the collection often served as props for the artist.

Rembrandt's works from this period are extremely varied; they testify to a tireless, sometimes painful search for an artistic understanding of the spiritual and social essence of man and nature and demonstrate trends that relentlessly, step by step, bring the artist into conflict with society.

In portraits “for himself” and self-portraits, the artist freely experiments with composition and chiaroscuro effects, changes the tonality of the color scheme, dresses his models in fantastic or exotic clothes, varies poses, gestures, accessories (“Flora”, 1634, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum ).

In 1635, the famous painting based on the biblical story “The Sacrifice of Abraham” was painted, which was highly appreciated in secular society.

According to scientists, this painting was the reason for the artist’s bankruptcy in 1653, as it scared away potential clients.

Tragic changes in Rembrandt’s personal fate (the death of newborn children, his mother, in 1642 - the illness and death of Saskia, who left him a nine-month-old son Titus), the deterioration of his financial situation due to his stubborn reluctance to sacrifice freedom of spirit and creativity to please the changing tastes of the burghers, aggravated and exposed the gradually ripening conflict between the artist and society.

Information about Rembrandt's private life in the 1640s. Little remains in the documents. Of the students of this period, only Nicholas Mas from Dordrecht is known. Apparently, the artist continued to live in grand style, as before. The family of the late Saskia expressed concern about how he disposed of her dowry. Titus's nanny, Geertje Dirks, sued him for breaking his promise to marry; To resolve this incident, the artist had to fork out money.

At the end of the 1640s, Rembrandt became friends with his young maid Hendrickje Stoffels, whose image appears in many portrait works of this period: (“Flora” (1654), “Bathing Woman” (1654), “Hendrickje at the Window” (1655)). The parish council condemned Hendrickje for “sinful cohabitation” when her daughter Cornelia was born to the artist in 1654. During these years, Rembrandt moved away from themes that had a grandiose national or universal resonance.

The artist spends a long time working on engraved portraits of burgomaster Jan Six (1647) and other influential burghers. All the techniques and techniques of engraving known to him were put to use in the production of the elaborate etching “Christ Healing the Sick,” better known as the “Hundred Guilder Leaf,” which was once sold for such a huge price for the 17th century. He worked on this etching, striking in its subtlety of light and shadow, for seven years, from 1643 to 1649.

In 1653, experiencing financial difficulties, the artist transferred almost all of his property to his son Titus, after which he declared bankruptcy in 1656. After the sale in 1657-58. house and property (an interesting catalog of Rembrandt’s art collection has been preserved), the artist moved to the outskirts of Amsterdam, to the Jewish quarter, where he spent the rest of his life.

The death of Titus in 1668 was one of the last blows of fate for the artist; he himself died a year later.

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn died in October 1669. He was 63 years old. He was old, sick and poor. The notary did not have to spend much time compiling an inventory of the artist’s property. The inventory was brief: “three worn sweatshirts, eight handkerchiefs, ten berets, painting supplies, one Bible.”

Paintings

Return of the Prodigal Son

The famous painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son”, one of Rembrandt’s last works. It was written in the year of his death, and became the pinnacle of his talent.

This is Rembrandt's largest painting on a religious theme. Painting by Rembrandt based on the New Testament parable of the Prodigal Son.

We find the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke. It tells about a young man who left his father's house and squandered his inheritance. He spent his days in idleness, debauchery and drunkenness until he found himself in a barnyard, where he ate from the same trough with the pigs. Finding himself in a desperate situation and complete poverty, the young man returns to his father, ready to become his last slave. But instead of contempt, he finds a royal welcome, instead of anger - all-forgiving, deep and tender fatherly love.

1669 Rembrandt plays out a human drama before the viewer. The paints lie on the canvas in thick strokes. They are dark. The artist does not care about minor characters, even if there are quite a few of them. Attention is again focused on father and son. The old father, hunched over with grief, faces the viewer. In this face there is pain, and eyes tired from crying tears, and the happiness of a long-awaited meeting. The son has his back turned to us. He buried himself like a baby in his father’s royal robe. We don't know what his face expresses. But the cracked heels, the bare skull of the tramp, the poor clothes say enough. Like the father's hands squeezing the young man's shoulders. Through the calmness of these hands, forgiving and supporting, Rembrandt, for the last time, tells the world a universal parable about wealth, passions and vices, repentance and forgiveness. “...I will get up and go to my father and say to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as one of your hired servants. He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and had compassion; and, running, fell on his neck and kissed him.”

In addition to father and son, the picture depicts 4 more characters. These are dark silhouettes that are difficult to distinguish against a dark background, but who they are remains a mystery. Some called them the protagonist's "brothers and sisters." It is characteristic that Rembrandt avoids conflict: the parable speaks of the jealousy of an obedient son, and the harmony of the picture is not disturbed in any way.

Van Gogh very accurately said about Rembrandt: “You have to die several times in order to paint like that... Rembrandt penetrates the mystery so deeply that he speaks about objects for which there are no words in any language. That's why Rembrandt is called: a wizard. And this is not a simple craft.”

The night Watch

The name by which Rembrandt’s group portrait “The Performance of the Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg”, painted in 1642, is traditionally known.

The canvas of the Dutch master is fraught with many “surprises”. Let's start with the fact that the title of the picture that we are accustomed to does not correspond to reality: the patrol depicted on it is in fact not at all night, but very much during the day. It’s just that Rembrandt’s work was varnished several times, which is why it darkened greatly. In addition, for almost 100 years (from the beginning of the 18th to the beginning of the 19th century), the canvas decorated one of the halls of the Amsterdam City Hall, where it hung directly opposite the fireplace, becoming covered with soot year after year. It is not surprising that by the beginning of the 19th century the name “Night Watch” was firmly established behind the painting: by this time the history of its creation was completely forgotten, and everyone was sure that the master depicted the dark time of day. Only in 1947, during restoration at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where the painting remains to this day, did it become clear that its coloring was incomparably lighter than was generally believed. Moreover, the short shadows cast by the characters indicate that it takes place between noon and two o'clock in the afternoon. However, the restorers did not remove all the layers of dark varnish for fear of damaging the paint, which is why “Night Watch” is still quite twilight.

The real title of the painting is “Performance of the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Wilhem van Ruytenburg.” This is a group portrait of musketeers-militiamen of one of the districts of Amsterdam. From 1618 to 1648, the Thirty Years' War raged in Europe, and residents of Dutch cities took up arms to defend their homes. Rembrandt's creation, along with portraits of other rifle companies, was to decorate the main hall in Kloveniersdolen - the headquarters of the city riflemen. But the customers were disappointed: Rembrandt did not produce a monumental ceremonial portrait, but a genre painting in which they had difficulty finding their own faces, often half hidden by other characters. Still would! After all, the artist, in addition to 18 customers (each of whom paid about 100 gold guilders for his portrait - a very impressive amount for those times), squeezed 16 more people onto the canvas! Who they are is unknown.

Museum – Amsterdam History Museum?

Three crosses

One of Rembrandt's most famous etchings, it has five states. Only the third is signed and dated, therefore, Rembrandt considered the rest to be intermediate. The fifth condition is very rare, only five specimens are known.

The etching depicts the dramatic moment of Christ's death on the cross of Calvary, described in the Gospels. In this etching, Rembrandt used the chisel and drypoint techniques on an unprecedented scale, which enhanced the contrast of the image.

On December 2, 2008, at Christie's, this etching (IV condition) was sold for £421,250.

Descent from the Cross

In 1814, Alexander I purchased the Malmaison Gallery, which belonged to her, from Empress Josephine. Some of the paintings came from the famous Kassel Gallery, including the Descent from the Cross. Previously, these paintings were the property of Madame de Roover in Delft and, together with other paintings from her collection, were purchased by the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Ludwig VII. In 1806, his gallery was seized by Napoleon and presented to Josephine.

The successor of the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, Ludwig VII, a former ally of Alexander I, presented to the emperor in 1815 a demand for the return of the paintings captured by Napoleon. This demand was decisively rejected by Alexander I, who paid money for the paintings and showed Josephine’s attention to her daughter Hortensia in every possible way. In 1829, Hortense, who at that time bore the title of Duchess of Saint-Leu, purchased thirty paintings from the Malmaison Gallery.
The theme “Descent from the Cross” had a large iconographic tradition in European art. Her highest achievement was considered the altar painting by Rubens in the Antwerp Cathedral, widely known from the Vorstermann engraving.

Rembrandt's creative thought wanders somewhere close to this tradition, using it and at the same time constantly choosing other paths. Unusual for the previous development of European art, they are highly characteristic of Rembrandt’s personal creative style; it is not for nothing that “The Descent from the Cross” looks so much like “The Unbelief of the Apostle Thomas.”
Rubens depicted the sublime grief of a group of majestic and beautiful people about a majestic and beautiful hero; Rembrandt's restless mass night scene. Numerous figures either retreat into the darkness or fall into a ray of light, and it seems that the crowd moves, lives, grieving for the crucified man and pitying his mother. There is nothing ideal in the appearance of people; many of them are rude and ugly. Their feelings are very strong, but these are the feelings of ordinary people, not enlightened by that sublime catharsis that is in Rubens’s painting.

The dead Christ is a man like them; It is precisely because of the intensity of their grief that his suffering and death take on special significance. The key to the content of the picture is, perhaps, not so much Christ as the man supporting him and pressing his cheek to him.
From an artistic point of view, the fragmentary, restless composition is inferior to both the famous painting by Rubens and some of the works of Rembrandt himself, executed in the same years. For example, “The Unbelief of the Apostle Thomas,” which is less significant in its content, seems outwardly more harmonious as a whole. However, in “The Descent from the Cross,” Rembrandt’s inherent understanding of biblical and gospel themes emerges more clearly.

The work of the young Rembrandt differs from its prototype in the most basic features. First of all, it was not created either formally or essentially as a prayer altar image. Its cabinet size is addressed not to the perception of the crowd, but to the individual experience. This appeal to the feelings and consciousness of one person, the establishment of close emotional contact with the viewer, forced the artist to create a completely new system of artistic means and techniques. Rembrandt saw the scene of the gospel legend as a tragic real event, fundamentally depriving it of mystical and heroic pathos.

Striving for the utmost sincerity and truthfulness of the image, Rembrandt showed a close crowd of people near the cross, shocked by grief, seeking family unity with each other in the face of terrible death. The brown-olive tonal coloring united the entire composition, and the light flux dramatically highlighted its main semantic center. The greatest depth of suffering is embodied in the image of the Mother of God, who has fallen unconscious, with her thin, emaciated face of a worker. The second group of mourners is located at the left end of the spatial diagonal - women reverently lay out the shroud, fulfilling their direct duty towards the deceased. The drooping body of Christ supported by the old man - the embodiment of tormented human flesh - evokes, first of all, a feeling of deep compassion.

Jewish bride

One of the last and most mysterious paintings by Rembrandt. The name was given to it in 1825 by the Amsterdam collector Van der Hop. He mistakenly believed that it depicted a father giving a necklace to his Jewish daughter for her wedding. Perhaps this is a commissioned portrait, but the clothes of the characters are clearly similar to the ancient, biblical ones, so “Artaxerxes and Esther”, “Jacob and Rachel”, “Abram and Sarah”, “Boaz and Ruth” were proposed as the title.

Saskia as Flora

A painting by Rembrandt, painted in 1634, which probably depicts the artist's wife Saskia van Uylenbuch as the ancient Italian goddess of flowers, blossom, spring and field fruits, Flora.

In 1633, Saskia van Uylenburch became the bride of Rembrandt van Rijn. The charming portrait of young Saskia in Flora's outfit is a silent but eloquent witness to this “time of spring and love” by the brilliant painter.

The girl’s thoughtful, but undoubtedly happy face is quite consistent with the bride’s feelings. She is no longer a playful child, carefree looking at God's world. She faces a serious task: she has chosen a new path and she has a lot to change her mind and experience before she enters adulthood. The headdress and staff entwined with flowers certainly point to Flora, the ancient Roman goddess of spring. The goddess's outfit was painted with amazing skill, but the true greatness of Rembrandt's talent is revealed in the expression of tenderness that the artist gave to her face.

His beloved wife brought a light of happiness and heartfelt contentment into the lonely home of the modest artist. Rembrandt loved to dress Saskia in velvet, silk and brocade, according to the custom of that time, showered him with diamonds and pearls, lovingly watching how her lovely, young face benefited from the brilliant outfit

Museum – State Hermitage

Style

Deeply humanistic in its essence and perfect in its unique artistic form, Rembrandt's work became one of the pinnacles of the development of human civilization. Rembrandt's works, varied in genre and theme, are imbued with ideas of morality, spiritual beauty and dignity of the ordinary person, an understanding of the incomprehensible complexity of his inner world, the versatility of his intellectual wealth, and the depth of his emotional experiences. Concealing many unsolved mysteries, the paintings, drawings and etchings of this remarkable artist captivate with the insightful psychological characteristics of the characters, the philosophical acceptance of reality, and the convincing justification of unexpected artistic decisions. His interpretation of stories from the Bible, ancient myths, ancient legends and the past of his native country as truly meaningful events in the history of man and society, deeply felt life conflicts of specific people opened the way for a free and multi-valued interpretation of traditional images and themes.

Love by Rembrandt

Rembrandt's famous muse Saskia was the youngest daughter of the burgomaster of the city of Leeuwarden. This white-skinned red-haired beauty grew up in a large and very wealthy family. When the girl was 12 years old, the mother of the family died. But the girl still did not know what to refuse, and when the time came, she became a very enviable bride.

A significant meeting between the artist and the young lady took place in the house of the girl’s cousin, the artist Hendrik van Uylenburg, who was also an antiques dealer. Rembrandt is literally smitten by the girl: glowing soft skin, golden hair... Add to this the ability to conduct a casual conversation. Jokingly, she invited the famous painter to paint her portrait. And that’s all that’s needed: Saskia is an ideal model for Rembrandt’s subjects in dark and muted colors.

Rembrandt begins to paint a portrait. He meets Saskia not only during sessions. Belying his principles, he tries to attend pleasure walks and parties. When work on the portrait was completed and frequent meetings stopped, Rembrandt realized: this is the one he wants to marry. In 1633, Saskia van Uylenburgh became the artist’s bride, and on July 22, 1634, the long-awaited wedding took place.

Marriage to Saskia opens the way for the artist to high society. The burgomaster father left his favorite a colossal inheritance: 40,000 florins. Even on a small part of this amount one could live comfortably for many, many years.

The happy and loving couple began to arrange a common home. Soon it began to resemble a museum. The walls were decorated with engravings by Michelangelo and paintings by Raphael. Saskia agreed to everything, she loved her husband very much. And he, in turn, showered her with jewelry and paid for the most exquisite toilets. And, of course, I tried to capture my favorite image. Rembrandt, one might say, became a chronicler of his family life. In the first days of the couple's honeymoon, the famous "Self-portrait with Saskia on her lap" was painted.

In 1635, the family's first son was born, but he did not live very long, and this became a terrible blow for the young mother.

For a long time she did not want to part with her son’s body, she drove everyone away from her, without letting go of the dead child. The unfortunate mother walked with him around the house, rocking him and calling him all the tender names that she and her husband called Rembrantus in the first happy days.

Rembrandt realized that, with the exception of hours spent at his easel, he could only live near Saskia. Only with her does he feel human: love is the source of life, and he loves only Saskia, and no one else.

After the death of Rembrantus, Saskia lost children at birth twice more. Only the fourth child, Titus, born in 1641, was able to survive the difficult years of infancy. The boy was named by this name in memory of the late Titia, Saskia's sister.

However, constant labor had a detrimental effect on Saskia's health. The appearance of purely landscape images by the artist in the late 1630s is sometimes explained by the fact that at that time, due to the illness of his wife, Rembrandt spent a lot of time outside the city with her. The artist painted relatively few portraits in the 1640s.

Saskia van Uylenburgh died in 1642. She was only thirty years old. In the coffin she looked alive...

At this time, Rembrandt was working on the famous painting “The Night Watch”.

Rembrandt House Museum

Art Museum on Jodenbreestraat in the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam. The museum opened in 1911 in the house that Rembrandt purchased at the height of his fame in 1639 and lived in until his bankruptcy in 1656.

For almost 20 years of his life (from 1639 to 1658) on the Jodenbrestraat street, Rembrandt managed to create many beautiful works, become famous, collect a unique collection of paintings and rarities from all over the world, acquire students, squander the fortune of his first wife, lose his main customers, incur huge debts and put the house under the hammer.

Rembrandt also had to sell off most of his luxurious collection of paintings and antiques, including works by great European artists, Roman busts of emperors, and even Japanese battle armor, and move to a more modest home. Having outlived both wives and even his own son, Rembrandt died in poverty and loneliness.

Two and a half centuries later, in 1911, by order of Queen Wilhelmina, the house was turned into a museum, which, unlike, for example, the Van Gogh Museum, is, first of all, not an art gallery, but the restored apartments of the great artist: a huge kitchen in the ground floor, the reception room, the master's bedroom and the guest bedroom are on the second, the largest room of the mansion - the studio - is on the third, and in the attic are the workshops of his students.

It was possible to restore the interior with the help of an inventory of property drawn up by a notary when all of the artist’s property was sold at auction, and drawings by the artist himself, in which he depicted his home.

Here you can see his personal belongings, furniture from the 17th century and other interesting exhibits, such as a beautiful etching press or overseas rarities.

The museum exhibits almost all of the great Rembrandt's engravings - 250 out of 280, magnificent self-portraits of the artist, drawings depicting his parents, wife and son Titus, wonderful views of Amsterdam and its environs.

Even the museum toilet requires special attention: there you can see drawings by Rembrandt on a corresponding theme: a woman crouching in the bushes and a man standing in a pose characteristic of this establishment.

Rembrandt - everything you need to know about the famous Dutch artist updated: November 13, 2017 by: website