Rembrandt biography

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn

Rembrandt is considered one of the great masters of art. He was born in Leydon, Holland on July 15th, 1606. His parents, though not rich were comfortable. His father was a miller and his mother was the daughter of a baker. Two occupations that allowed them to be the reputable trading middle class of that historical period.

At the age of fourteen Rembrandt was taking his studies at the Latin School in Leydon, but it was evident he was more intent in being a painter rather than a scholar. His parents finally gave in to his effective arguments and apprenticed him to the painter Jacob van Swannenburgh. This association lasted three years which was enough to give Rembrandt the education he needed to for the basis of his life work. Rembrandt's next period was with Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam.

With Lastman Rembrandt came under the influence of Adam Elsheimer. Elsheimer was a chiaroscurist. These two painters are important figures in Rembrandt's life as was Caravaggio and need to be mentioned to understand his life as an artist.

Caravaggio was one of the more influential painters of the later Rennaissance period of Italy. Caravaggio felt that Italy's passion for art was failing. It seemed a dryness had invaded the arts and that a rigid structure had taken hold on the Italian consciousness. Indeed, even the Madonna was wearing the same clothing as the pagan Venus. Caravaggio wanted more realism in his paintings. For this reason he chose the citizenry of Italy as his subjects. He gave his paintings more texture and movement and most importantly, he added light to his paintings. Different shades showed paintings differently. This one aspect alone added more reality to paintings and had a lasting impression on late 17th century art.

The effect on Caravaggio and other chiaroscurists on Lastman and Elsheimer are seen through Rembrandt.

After his apprenticeship with Lastman, Rembrandt returned to Leydon and began to establish himself as a painter. His paintings and reputation grew and he was called upon for many portraits.

Many of the commissions he received came from Amsterdam and in late 1631 he felt it best to move to this city which was becoming rich on the cloth trade. At first he lived with a man named Hendrijke van Uhlenburgh. It was at this place in 1634 that Rembrandt met Saskia, whom he fell in love with and married. She would also be the subject of many of his paintings.

This was the start of the period that would highlight his greatest success, popularity and happiness. In 1632 the Amsterdam Surgeons commissioned him to paint an anatomy lesson with one of the leading surgeons of the day, Dr. Tulp.

Paintings of anatomy lessons of that time were common, but Rembrandt's painting, using the influence of his teachers, and the grouping of Dr. Tulp's students hardly looked like the standard lesson of the day. (The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp)

He was also getting commissions from other places as well. His success was assured when the Staatholder (Leader of the State of Holland) Frederick Henry asked him to do a large series of paintings. It was during this time that he started doing landscapes. Most of these are scenes of mills, bridges, waterfalls and ruins as well as greenery and figures. The use of light on his subjects is always apparent.

In 1642, Rembrandt completed The Night Watch. This was commissioned by the Civic Guard of Amsterdam and is probably his best-known painting. It was to be a painting of the guards marching under the command of their captain, Frans Banning Cocq. The picture, although popular among critics and well paid for, was not what the guards expected.

Rather than the men seen under the command of Cocq, they are seen, as their poses suggest, as contemporaries. Worse still, few of the guards are hardly recognizable as they are painted into the darkness of the canvas. In fact, one figure even looks clownish.

Although the painting would pay Rembrandt handsomely, it also happened in the year that saw a change in Rembrandt's fortunes.

In 1642 his beloved Saskia died, leaving him with their one year old son, Titus. Titus's first nursemaid, Geertghe Dirck , who was also claimed to be Rembrandt's mistress, left the household, eventually being sent to an insane asylum. Rembrandt brought in Hendrickje Stoffels to care for Titus. Eventually, she too became Rembrandt's mistress.

The arrangements caused a small scandal in Calvinist Holland. For a time Stoffels was even banned from her church. As well, due to Rembrandt's poor money management and the declining commissions, due in part of the Civic Guard painting led to an inability to meet financial obligations. In 1556, Rembrandt declared bankruptcy. His paintings and house were sold at auction. Because Holland was at war with Portugal at the time and in danger of being at war with Spain as well, the auction brought in much less than it normally would have.

This brought about an unusual situation. Rembrandt would sign a contract with his son and mistress to help protect his interests. From then on his monetary affairs were largely in their hands.

Titus and Hendrickje became art dealers and made Rembrandt their manager, an honorary title. He was mostly interested in his work.

Rembrandt kept on painting despite the lack of commissions and becoming more isolated. The last years of his life brought about some of his greatest achievements. He painted his patron Jan Six in 1654, the same year as The Homer. He also did a painting of Alexander the Great, Man in Armour, and Aristotle with a Bust of Homer. He also was commissioned to decorated the Amsterdam Town Hall with a painting but it was never finished. It was returned to him for refinishing which he never made. This was the painting Conspiracy of Julius Civilis.

As well The Bridal Couple and The Syndics of the Clothworkers Guild, St. Peter Denying Christ and The Slaughter House.

Rembrandt died on October 4th, 1669, having been predeceased by Titus and Hendrickje. Only a daughter, Cornelia, by Hendrickje survived him. In his studio was the unfinished work, Simeon in the Temple.

Many would say this was an ordinary life of an extraordinary man. He never left his native Holland, even for Italy, a Mecca for painters of that time.

He lived during changing times of European society. That may have done as much for his notoriety as his skill as a painter.

Written by Darrell Baizley