Rembrandt van Rijn

1606-1669

European Artist

Rembrandt was born in Leiden, and first trained with Jacob Isaacsz van Swanenburgh. Rembrandt was initially successful as a portrait painter, and the self portraits he made throughout his life provide us with a remarkable pictorial autobiography. He was also an accomplished draughtsman and an inspired printmaker. Rembrandt thought of himself primarily as a history painter, and this type of work is represented in the collection by 'Belshazzar's Feast', 'The Woman taken in Adultery' and a number of other paintings of religious subjects. Rembrandt was the greatest Dutch painter and one of the most important artists in the tradition of western European art. The psychological depth of his portraits and profound interpretations of the Bible remain unique.