Artist Rembrandt biography briefly. Biography of Rembrandt
😉 Hello dear readers! The article "Rembrandt: biography, creativity, facts and video" - about the life of the Dutch artist, the great master of chiaroscuro, the largest representative of the Golden Age of Dutch painting.
Biography of Rembrandt
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born in the middle of the summer of 1606 in Leiden in the family of a rather wealthy miller. The surname "van Rijn" - "from the river Rhine", it was there that the mills that belonged to the family were located.
Cornelia's mother was the daughter of a baker. Father and mother were the same age and equal in social status. Perhaps this was the reason that peace and tranquility reigned in the family. Although the house could not be called quiet, because a dozen tomboys were growing up here. The ninth was Rembrandt.
Parents have worked hard all their lives to raise their children. His father died at 62, and his mother survived him by ten years. The artist's three brothers became millers, and Rembrandt is the only one who received an education.
The 13-year-old has successfully passed the exams at Leiden University. In connection with his studies, he received a respite from being drafted into the army. At the same time, he begins to paint.
Self-portrait of Rembrandt at 23
Johannes Orpers - Mayor of Leiden, in one of the books, which was published in 1641, devoted several lines to the life of Rembrandt. This was a short biography about the artist. From which we learn that at the beginning Rembrandt was for about three years in training with Jacob van Svanenbürch.
Then in 1624 he left for Amsterdam for six months - to the painter of historical paintings P. Lastman. In 1625 the painter returned to his homeland and found good friend represented by Jan Livens. For several years they created their creations together, and sometimes their paintings were so similar that it was almost impossible to identify the author.
Amsterdam
In January 1632, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam. For three decades, the population of this city has tripled and reached the figure of 150 thousand. The painter reasoned that his career in this big city would go up much faster.
Previously, he painted small works on religious themes and portraits. In Amsterdam, he worked on large orders and soon achieved popularity. For about two years, Rembrandt lived with Hendrik van Eilenbürch, an art dealer. He made friends with him immediately after his arrival.
Saskia
In the summer of 1634, the artist married Eilenbyurch's cousin, Saskia. She was an orphan, but had a good inheritance. Rembrandt at this time also managed to become a leading painter.
The young were passionately in love. They lived in Eilenbürch's house for several months, and then bought a magnificent new house for their family.
"Saskia as Flora" - a painting by Rembrandt, 1634
For 5 years, Saskia gave birth to three children, but they died in infancy. In 1641 she gave birth to her 4th child. It was a boy named Titus by his parents. The son remained to live, but the doctors could not save his mother, 29-year-old Saskia.
At this time, Rembrandt was working on the completion of the famous painting "Night Watch". But his life was mournful. He was immensely saddened by the sudden death of his beloved wife and could not work for a long time, all the while returning his thoughts to the tragedy.
"The night Watch". 1642. Oil on canvas. 363 × 437 cm
He had many orders for ceremonial portraits. But by constantly postponing work on them, he quickly lost customers. They preferred not to wait for Rembrandt to finally pick up his magic brush, but gave orders to other artists.
Danae (1636-1647). Rembrandt has been working on the painting for 11 years!
Hendrickje Stoffels
The artist worked with great inspiration on his canvases, mainly based on biblical subjects. In difficult moments, Rembrandt often turned to religion, but it was necessary to think about his son, still very little.
He was forced to hire a nanny, Gertier Dierks. Gertier accused the artist of breaking his promise to marry her. This incident was settled - the artist had to fork out. There were many court hearings. As a result, she was found wrong and sentenced to 5 years.
Hendrickje Stoffels (1655)
Three years later, Rembrandt became friends with his young servant, Hendrickje Stoffels. Hendrickje gave birth to a son, who died as an infant, and a daughter, Cornelia. Apparently, the daughter was named after the master's mother.
The artist's financial situation was deplorable. He practically did not have high-paying orders for ceremonial portraits, but he spent huge sums on the collection. There were Renaissance paintings, weapons, busts, old costumes, oriental wonders ...
last years of life
In 1652 - 1654 Holland was at war with England, which completely depleted the state treasury. Trade almost ceased, which immediately affected the value of works of art. Rembrandt sold part of the collection, but that didn't help.
In 1656, Rembrandt could no longer pay all the accumulated debts and almost ended up in prison. He managed to avoid this with the help of the so-called "transfer of debts" operation. The artist proved that debts have accumulated for an objective reason.
The artist sold the property and he was allowed to stay in the house he had previously owned until 1660. After that, the master rented inexpensive apartments in some poor city block.
Portrait of Titus, son of Rembrandt, 1657.
Titus has already grown up and he, together with his stepmother, created a company selling art works. But Rembrandt was never able to pay off all the debts, although everyone in the city respected him. In 1661 - 1662 Rembrandt was offered two highly paid orders: the painting "The Conspiracy of Julius Civilis" and the portrait of "Sindica" for the cloth makers' guild.
The last years of the painter were sad. In 1663 Hendrickje died, then Titus and his daughter-in-law. On October 4, 1669, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn himself, one of the greatest painters, left this world. He was 63 years old.
In this video additional interesting information "Rembrandt: biography"
Additionally, on the topic "Rembrandt: Biography" - a film directed by Alexander Korda. It was released in 1936.
😉 Hello dear readers! The article "Rembrandt: biography, creativity, facts and video" - about the life of the Dutch artist, the great master of chiaroscuro, the largest representative of the Golden Age of Dutch painting.
Biography of Rembrandt
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born in the middle of the summer of 1606 in Leiden in the family of a rather wealthy miller. The surname "van Rijn" - "from the river Rhine", it was there that the mills that belonged to the family were located.
Cornelia's mother was the daughter of a baker. Father and mother were the same age and equal in social status. Perhaps this was the reason that peace and tranquility reigned in the family. Although the house could not be called quiet, because a dozen tomboys were growing up here. The ninth was Rembrandt.
Parents have worked hard all their lives to raise their children. His father died at 62, and his mother survived him by ten years. The artist's three brothers became millers, and Rembrandt is the only one who received an education.
The 13-year-old has successfully passed the exams at Leiden University. In connection with his studies, he received a respite from being drafted into the army. At the same time, he begins to paint.
Self-portrait of Rembrandt at 23
Johannes Orpers - Mayor of Leiden, in one of the books, which was published in 1641, devoted several lines to the life of Rembrandt. This was a short biography about the artist. From which we learn that at the beginning Rembrandt was for about three years in training with Jacob van Svanenbürch.
Then in 1624 he left for Amsterdam for six months - to the painter of historical paintings P. Lastman. In 1625 the painter returned to his homeland and found a good friend in the person of Jan Lievens. For several years they created their creations together, and sometimes their paintings were so similar that it was almost impossible to identify the author.
Amsterdam
In January 1632, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam. For three decades, the population of this city has tripled and reached the figure of 150 thousand. The painter reasoned that his career in this big city would go up much faster.
Previously, he painted small works on religious themes and portraits. In Amsterdam, he worked on large orders and soon achieved popularity. For about two years, Rembrandt lived with Hendrik van Eilenbürch, an art dealer. He made friends with him immediately after his arrival.
Saskia
In the summer of 1634, the artist married Eilenbyurch's cousin, Saskia. She was an orphan, but had a good inheritance. Rembrandt at this time also managed to become a leading painter.
The young were passionately in love. They lived in Eilenbürch's house for several months, and then bought a magnificent new house for their family.
"Saskia as Flora" - a painting by Rembrandt, 1634
For 5 years, Saskia gave birth to three children, but they died in infancy. In 1641 she gave birth to her 4th child. It was a boy named Titus by his parents. The son remained to live, but the doctors could not save his mother, 29-year-old Saskia.
At this time, Rembrandt was working on the completion of the famous painting "Night Watch". But his life was mournful. He was immensely saddened by the sudden death of his beloved wife and could not work for a long time, all the while returning his thoughts to the tragedy.
"The night Watch". 1642. Oil on canvas. 363 × 437 cm
He had many orders for ceremonial portraits. But by constantly postponing work on them, he quickly lost customers. They preferred not to wait for Rembrandt to finally pick up his magic brush, but gave orders to other artists.
Danae (1636-1647). Rembrandt has been working on the painting for 11 years!
Hendrickje Stoffels
The artist worked with great inspiration on his canvases, mainly based on biblical subjects. In difficult moments, Rembrandt often turned to religion, but it was necessary to think about his son, still very little.
He was forced to hire a nanny, Gertier Dierks. Gertier accused the artist of breaking his promise to marry her. This incident was settled - the artist had to fork out. There were many court hearings. As a result, she was found wrong and sentenced to 5 years.
Hendrickje Stoffels (1655)
Three years later, Rembrandt became friends with his young servant, Hendrickje Stoffels. Hendrickje gave birth to a son, who died as an infant, and a daughter, Cornelia. Apparently, the daughter was named after the master's mother.
The artist's financial situation was deplorable. He practically did not have high-paying orders for ceremonial portraits, but he spent huge sums on the collection. There were Renaissance paintings, weapons, busts, old costumes, oriental wonders ...
last years of life
In 1652 - 1654 Holland was at war with England, which completely depleted the state treasury. Trade almost ceased, which immediately affected the value of works of art. Rembrandt sold part of the collection, but that didn't help.
In 1656, Rembrandt could no longer pay all the accumulated debts and almost ended up in prison. He managed to avoid this with the help of the so-called "transfer of debts" operation. The artist proved that debts have accumulated for an objective reason.
The artist sold the property and he was allowed to stay in the house he had previously owned until 1660. After that, the master rented inexpensive apartments in some poor city block.
Portrait of Titus, son of Rembrandt, 1657.
Titus has already grown up and he, together with his stepmother, created a company selling art works. But Rembrandt was never able to pay off all the debts, although everyone in the city respected him. In 1661 - 1662 Rembrandt was offered two highly paid orders: the painting "The Conspiracy of Julius Civilis" and the portrait of "Sindica" for the cloth makers' guild.
The last years of the painter were sad. In 1663 Hendrickje died, then Titus and his daughter-in-law. On October 4, 1669, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn himself, one of the greatest painters, left this world. He was 63 years old.
In this video additional interesting information "Rembrandt: biography"
Additionally, on the topic "Rembrandt: Biography" - a film directed by Alexander Korda. It was released in 1936.
Art makes our life more interesting and beautiful. There are people who will remain in memory for many centuries, whose work will be inherited by all new generations.
After reading this article, you will become closer to understanding the heritage of world art, which was left behind by the great master - the artist Rembrandt van Rijn.
Biography
Today he is called the master of shadows, as well as the person who could put absolutely any emotion on the canvas. Next, let's get acquainted with the life path that he had to go through.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) was born in the Netherlands, in the city of Leiden. From a young age he was interested in painting, and from the age of 13 he studied fine arts with Jacob van Swanenbürch, who was a historical painter.
After that, it is known that Rembrandt at the age of 17 studied with Peter Lastman, having arrived in Amsterdam. His teacher specialized in biblical motives and mythology.
Went about his business
By the age of 21, Rembrandt van Rijn, together with his friend, opened a drawing workshop and conducted regular student recruiting and visual arts classes. It took just a few years, and he became popular among those around him as a master of his craft.
Together with their friend Leavens, they were already creating masterpieces at that time, and they were noticed by Constantin Huygens, who was the secretary of the Prince of Orange. He called the picture of Judas one of best works art of antiquity. He played a large role in the development of an artist, helping to establish contacts with wealthy clients.
New life in Amsterdam
By 1631, Rembrandt van Rijn had already completely moved to live in Amsterdam. Life in this city was full of orders from significant clients who saw in it a great young artist. At this time, his friend went to study in England, where he also tried to achieve success under the auspices of a new teacher.
Meanwhile, the artist begins to get carried away with the depiction of faces. He is interested in the facial expressions of each person, he tries to experiment with the drawn heads of people. Rembrandt van Rijn was able to accurately convey everything that was said by the eyes of the person from whom he painted a masterpiece.
It was the portraits that brought the artist commercial success at that time. In addition, he was fond of self-portraits. You can find many of his works, where he portrayed himself in imaginary costumes and robes, interesting poses.
Glory time
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn gained universal recognition in Amsterdam after painting The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulpa in 1632, where he depicted surgeons whom the doctor taught to dissect on the example of a corpse.
If you look at this picture, you can see the fine line with which the master depicted the facial expressions of each of them. These are not just people's faces, he managed to convey a general wary emotion whole group students.
And the way he portrayed the shadow in the picture amazed many experts of the time. They unanimously began to say that Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn had matured along with his paintings.
We can say that this time is considered one of the most favorable in the life of a young artist. After his marriage to Saskia van Eilenbürch in 1634, orders fell on his head with such a speed with which he could not have time to paint.
In the first years of his life in the new city, the young Rembrandt van Rijn managed to write more than 50 paintings. The paintings were special and bright, writers have repeatedly recalled his creations. For example, Jost van den Vondel, the then famous poet and playwright, paid tribute to the author in his poems about his portrait of Cornelis Ansloh.
At that time, he had enough money to buy his own mansion. Carried away by art and the study of the works of classics and other masters, he filled his home with famous works of both his contemporaries and the works of antiquity.
Family life
Today's art critics note good works of that time, which was written by Rembrandt van Rijn. The paintings of his wife Saskia in different clothes and against different backgrounds indicate that the master has fully matured and began to create his art on canvases.
There was also grief - the three children who appeared during his marriage died at a young age. But in 1641, the couple had a son, Titus, who was an outlet for young parents. That turbulent time was perfectly imprinted on the artist's painting “The Prodigal Son in a Tavern”.
An unpleasant event
As in the early years, the imagination of the great artist has always pushed him to create paintings with certain biblical subjects. Just what is his painting "The Sacrifice of Abraham", which he painted in 1635! Emotions and moods are so clearly conveyed, you start to worry that it is worth blinking, as the knife immediately plunges into the flesh.
In contemporary art, such a feeling can only be conveyed to photographers who take a clear shot in motion. Indeed, his ability to reflect the atmosphere of situations processed by the imagination of the great master is striking.
The beginning of the problems
The artist's failures did not end on the death of his wife. The artist's views gradually changed. The young Rembrandt van Rijn, whose work admired his contemporaries, gradually disappeared.
In 1642 he received an excellent offer to paint a portrait of the Musketeers, which was to be placed in the newly built building of the Shooting Society. It was one of the largest paintings ever painted by the master - it reached four meters.
According to the vision of the customers, the artist was supposed to create an ordinary portrait of a soldier that would radiate strength and confidence. Unfortunately, the artist Rembrandt van Rijn completed the task in his own way.
As you can see in the painting "Night Watch", which is shown below, his work can hardly be called a portrait. The canvas depicts a whole scene of the preparation of a rifle company for a sudden march.
Moreover, you can see how the movement has frozen in the picture. This is a separate shot from the life of a soldier. There was a lot of resentment from customers about this. Some of the musketeers were pushed into the background, while others were even captured in an awkward pose.
In addition, the sharp play of light and shadow, which, perhaps, no one could so brightly and boldly depict on canvas, also did not arouse admiration.
After that, Rembrandt van Rijn, whose works were considered one of the best yesterday, began to become uninteresting to a high-ranking public. And this meant at that time that no one would make expensive orders from him.
Now imagine a person who lived his whole life on a grand scale, and then suddenly lost his source of income. Can he already give up his usual life?
Modernity demanded detailing of paintings
Students gradually leave him. Rembrandt's vision gradually becomes inconsistent with the fashion of that time - new trends went towards maximum detail. That is, if the artist began to paint as he did in his youth, then there would be a considerable demand for him.
But life is unpredictable, just like a real creative person. His hand became hard, he liked to play with the shadow, blurring the clear edges of objects.
The inability to make good money affected his financial situation. Considering that his late wife was a lady from a wealthy family, her dowry passed completely into his possession. And, having no earnings, he simply spent it, or “burned it out,” on his own needs.
At the end of the forties of the 17th century, he became friends with his servant Hendrickje. She can be seen in some of his paintings. At that time, the laws were strict in relation to family ties, and his muse was convicted by the court when they had baby Cornelia.
It is difficult to find famous canvases from this period of the artist's life. He gradually moved away from many containing motives and scenes that he wrote in the recent past.
But he, as a creative person, showed himself in other areas. At that time, he was already masterfully performing etchings. It took him 7 years to complete a masterpiece called "Christ Healing the Sick."
He was able to sell it for 100 guilders large enough for that time. is considered the best of those that Rembrandt could create.
Rembrandt's sunset
The elderly artist was increasingly faced with material problems. In 1656 he became completely bankrupt, passing on all his inheritance to his son. There was nothing to live on. A year later, he had to sell his estate. The proceeds helped him move to the quiet outskirts of Amsterdam. He settled down in the Jewish quarter.
The closest person to him during his old age was his son. But Rembrandt was not lucky, because he lived to see his death. He could no longer endure the blows of fate, and a year later he also died.
Today's Rembrandt
Art never dies. Creators live in their works, in particular, artists are always part of their canvases. The essence of a person is conveyed in his style and skill of painting.
Today, Rembrandt van Rijn is considered an artist with a capital letter and is recognized by all critics. His work is highly regarded. For example, in 2009 at auction his painting “Half-length portrait of an unknown man standing akimbo”, painted in 1658, was sold for a record price - 41 million US dollars (in terms of the exchange rate of that time).
Also appreciated was his painting "Portrait of an Elderly Woman", which in 2000 was sold for about 32 million dollars. The language does not even dare to call this canvas a “picture”. It just looks like big photo- only a great master could detail the face so much.
People like Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn are truly inspiring. And it is not necessary to become an artist, you just need to do what you like, and most importantly - from the heart.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born on 15 July 1606 in Leiden, one of the largest Dutch cities. His father, Harmen, was a wealthy miller. The artist's surname "van Rijn" means "from the Rhine", that is, from the river on which the family mills stood. Rembrandt's mother, Cornelia, was the daughter of a baker. They married Harmen in 1589, when they were both 21 years old. The family had ten children, the penultimate of them - Rembrandt. The artist's parents lived a quiet life full of works - his father died in 1630, and his mother in 1640.
Of the surviving Rembrandt brothers, three continued the family tradition, becoming millers and bakers. The future artist turned out to be the only child in the family who was educated at the Latin School in Leiden.
In May 1620, at the age of 13, he entered one of the oldest educational institutions in Europe - Leiden University. Such young students did not surprise anyone then. However, about the study of Rembrandt at the university, the opinions of researchers differ. Perhaps he did not even start her, and he needed the title of student only in order to get a reprieve from military service. Around the same time, Rembrandt began to master the craft of the artist.
The main source of information about early years his life is served by the books of Johannes Orlers, then mayor of Leiden. In the second edition of his kind of reference book, published in 1641, Orlers published a short biographical note about Rembrandt. From this reference, you can learn that originally Rembrandt studied with the local painter Jacob van Swa-nenbürch. He spent three years in his studio, and then, in 1624, moved to Amsterdam for six months - to the famous master of historical painting Peter Lastman.
In 1625 or 1626, Rembrandt returned to Leiden. Here he became friends with another up-and-coming painter (also a student of Lastman), Jan Lievens - over the course of several years they often wrote together, and at times their works were so similar to each other that it seemed almost hopeless to establish the authorship of one of the artists.
Later, in late 1631 or early 1632, Rembrandt moved from Leiden to Amsterdam (then the capital of the Netherlands). Amsterdam at this time before our eyes was turning into one of the largest centers of world trade. For thirty years (from 1610 to 1640) its population has tripled - from 50,000 to 150,000 inhabitants. Rembrandt decided that it would be much easier to make a real artistic career in such a city.
In Leiden, Rembrandt most often painted small-sized plot paintings (these were interpretations of religious subjects, portraits and self-portraits, characteristic scenes). Now he began to work on order, which allowed him to quickly achieve success. For almost two years the artist lived in the house of Hendrik van Eilenbürch, a major art dealer, with whom he became friends shortly after moving to the capital.
In June 1633, Rembrandt became engaged to Eilenbürch's cousin, Saskia, and a year later he married her. Saskia's parents died when she was a child and left a substantial legacy to her daughter. Was not a poor man and Rembrandt, who had already managed to establish himself among the leading Dutch artists of his time. But this was not a marriage of convenience. Rembrandt and Saskia passionately loved each other. At first, the young people lived in the house of Hendrik van Eilenbürch, and a little later they bought their own house.
Between 1635 and 1640, Saskia gave birth to three children, but they all died after living in the world for only a few weeks. In 1641, she gave birth to her fourth (and last) child. The parents named their son Titus. Titus survived, but Saskia herself soon died. She was 29 years old.
In the year of Saskia's death, the artist completed The Night Watch, his largest and most famous painting. But Rembrandt's life has already cracked. Immensely saddened by the death of his beloved wife, the artist could not bring himself to concentrate on his usual work - commissioned portraits - and quickly lost his rich clients.
He enthusiastically wrote other canvases - their theme was the biblical story. During the difficult periods of his life, Rembrandt always found solace in religion, but now he also had to think about his tiny son. The artist hired a nanny for him, the widow Gertier Diercks, who became Rembrandt's mistress. A few years later, she was replaced by another young woman, Hendrickje Stoffels. She, too, was at first Titus's nanny. Gertier filed a lawsuit against Rembrandt, accusing him of violating the marriage conspiracy. Several quarrelsome trials ensued, as a result of which Gertier was found wrong and placed in a reformatory for five years. She was released in 1655, and died the following year. Meanwhile, Hendrickje gave birth to Rembrandt's son (he died in infancy) and daughter Cornelia. Cornelia - the only one of all Rembrandt's children - survived her father.
Meanwhile, the financial situation of Rembrandt was rapidly deteriorating. But despite the absence profitable orders on portraits, Rembrandt continued to spend a lot of money on his collection. The collection was very interesting. In it one could find canvases by Italian Renaissance masters, weapons, busts of Roman emperors, old costumes, oriental wonders, hundreds of drawings and prints.
In 1652-54, Holland waged war with Britain, which devastated the state treasury. Commercial turnover fell, which was reflected in the prices of art products. Things went so badly that Rembrandt sold part of his lovingly collected collection. But this did not help, he could hardly make ends meet.
In 1656, the artist found himself unable to pay his creditors and nearly ended up in a debt prison. He managed to avoid the worst with a legal operation called a cessio bonorum (which means transfer of debt). According to it, the debtor was not taken to prison if he was able to prove in court that his plight was caused by objective reasons. Having sold all his property, Rembrandt even received permission to stay in the house that belonged to him before. He lived here until 1660, when the new owner of the house revoked this permit.
Since then, Rembrandt lived in modest apartments in the poor quarters of the city. By this time, Titus had grown. In 1660, Titus and Hendrickje, in order to protect Rembrandt from material worries as much as possible, founded a firm for the sale of works of art. However, the artist did not pay off some of his creditors until the end of his life.
This did not prevent him from remaining in the eyes of fellow citizens a worthy person and a respected master. In 1661-62 he received two of his largest and most prestigious commissions: the painting "The Conspiracy of Julius Civilis" for the new Amsterdam City Hall and the group portrait of "Sindica" for the building of the cloth makers' guild.
The decline of the artist, despite the extraordinary creative upsurge, was sad. In 1663, his faithful companion Hendrickje died. Later, Rembrandt buried his son, followed by his daughter-in-law. In the fall of 1669, his turn came - on October 4, the greatest master of Dutch painting quietly and imperceptibly left this world.
The work of the genius Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is one of the summits of world painting. The extraordinary breadth of the thematic range, the deepest humanism that inspired works, the true democracy of art, the constant search for the most expressive artistic means, unsurpassed skill gave the artist the opportunity to embody the most profound and advanced ideas of the time. The coloring of Rembrandt's paintings of the mature and late periods, built on a combination of warm, close tones, iridescent in subtle shades, light, vibrant and concentrated, as if emitted by the objects themselves, contribute to the extraordinary emotionality of his works. But high, noble feelings give them special value, which give poetic and sublime beauty to everyday things.
The Apprentice and His Tutor, 1629-1630, Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California
Jeremiah mourning the destruction of Jerusalem, 1630, Rijksmuseum
Minerva, circa 1631, Rijksmuseum, Berlin
Rembrandt painted historical, biblical, mythological and everyday pictures, portraits and landscapes; he was one of the greatest masters of etching and drawing. But in whatever technique Rembrandt worked, the focus of his attention was always a man, with his inner peace, his experiences. Rembrandt often found his heroes among the representatives of the Dutch poor, in them he revealed the best character traits, inexhaustible spiritual wealth. The artist carried his faith in man through his whole life, adversity and trials. She helped him before last days to create works that express the best aspirations of the Dutch people.
The Abduction of Proserpine, circa 1631, Art Gallery, Dresden
Anatomy Lesson by Dr. Nicholas Tulpa, 1632, Mauritshuis, The Hague
The Rape of Europa, 1632, Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born in Leiden in 1606, the son of a mill owner. His teachers were Svannenburg and then Lastman. In 1625, Rembrandt began to work independently. His early works bear traces of the influence of Lastman, sometimes - of Utrecht painters, followers of Caravaggio. Soon the young Rembrandt found his own way, which was clearly visible in portraits made mainly of himself and his loved ones. Already in these works, chiaroscuro became for him one of the main means of artistic expression. He studied various manifestations of characters, facial expressions, facial expressions, individual traits.
Daniel and the Persian king Cyrus in front of the idol of Baal, 1633, Getty Museum
Goddess of War Bellona, 1633, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Shipbuilder and His Wife, 1633, Art Gallery, Buckingham Palace
In 1632, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam and immediately gained fame for the painting The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulpa (1632, The Hague, Mauritshuis). In essence, this is a large group portrait of the doctors who surrounded Dr. Tulpa and listened attentively to his explanations on the anatomized corpse. This construction of the composition allowed the artist to convey the individual traits of each person being portrayed and to link them into a free group with a general state of deep interest, to emphasize the vitality of the situation. Unlike the group portraits of Hals, where each of the portrayed persons occupies an equal position, in Rembrandt's painting all the characters are psychologically subordinate to Tulpa, whose figure is highlighted by a wide silhouette and a free hand gesture. Bright light reveals the center of the composition, contributes to the impression of the group's concentration, increases expression.
The success of the first painting brought the artist many orders, and with them the prosperity, which increased with his marriage to the patrician Saskia van Eilenburch. One after another, Rembrandt wrote large religious compositions, similar to the full dynamics and pathos of the Sacrifice of Abraham (1635, St. Petersburg, Hermitage), ceremonial portraits. He is carried away by heroic and dramatic images, outwardly spectacular constructions, lush fancy clothes, contrasts of light and shadow, sharp angles. Rembrandt often portrays Saskia and himself, young, happy, full of energy. Such are the "Portrait of Saskia" (about 1634, Kassel, Art Gallery), "Self-portrait" (1634, Paris, Louvre), "Self-portrait with Saskia on her knees" (about 1636, Dresden, Art Gallery). Rembrandt worked a lot in the field of etching, being carried away by genre motives, portraits, landscapes, created a whole series of images of representatives of the social lower classes.
Judith at a reception with Holofernes (painting formerly known as Artemisia), 1634, Prado Museum, Madrid
Diana and the nymphs bathe while telling stories of Actaeon and Callisto, 1635, Wasserburg Anholt Museum
Saskia van Eilenburch in Arcadian costume, 1635, National Gallery, London
By the end of the 1630s, the artist's gravitation towards realistic images in large-scale paintings was revealed. An unusually vital and convincing solution was acquired by the mythological theme in the painting "Danae" (1636, most of the painting was rewritten in the mid-1640s, St. Petersburg, Hermitage). Rejecting violent pathos and external effects, Rembrandt strove for psychological expressiveness. Warm colors have become richer, light has acquired an even greater role, imparting special trepidation and emotion to the work.
Man in Oriental Costume, 1633, National Gallery, Washington
Disbelief of the Apostle Thomas, 1634, The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow
Samson threatens his father-in-law, 1635, Rijksmuseum, Berlin
With the deepening of the artist's realistic skill, his disagreements with the surrounding bourgeois-patrician environment grew. In 1642, by order of a company of riflemen, he painted a large painting (3.87 X 5.02 m), due to the darkening of the colors from time to time, which was later named "Night Watch" (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum). Instead of the traditional feast with portraits of its participants, where each is captured with all the carefulness of individual characteristics, as was done before, the artist depicted the performance of the shooters on a campaign. Raising the banner, led by the captain, they walk to the sound of a drum across a wide bridge near the guild building. An unusually bright beam of light, illuminating individual figures, the faces of the participants in the procession and a little girl with a rooster at her belt, as if making her way through the rows of shooters, emphasizes the surprise, dynamics and emotion of the image. Images courageous people, seized by a heroic impulse, are combined here with a generalized image of the Dutch people, inspired by the consciousness of unity and faith in their own strength. Thus, the group portrait takes on the character of a kind of historical picture, in which the artist seeks to assess the present. Rembrandt embodies his idea of lofty civic ideals, of a people who rose up to fight for freedom and national independence. In the years when the internal contradictions that divided the country were increasingly revealed, the artist made an appeal for civil feat. Rembrandt strove to create an image of the heroic Holland, to praise the patriotic enthusiasm of its citizens. However, this idea was already largely alien to his customers.
Throughout the 1640s, the artist's divergences with bourgeois society grew. This is facilitated by difficult events in his personal life, the death of Saskia. But it is at this time that the time of maturity comes in the work of Rembrandt. The effective dramatic scenes of his early paintings are being replaced by the poeticization of everyday life: plots of a lyrical plan, such as David's Farewell to Jonathan (1642), The Holy Family (1645, both paintings - St. Petersburg, the Hermitage), become predominant. which the depth of human feelings conquers with a surprisingly subtle and powerful embodiment. It would seem that in simple everyday scenes, in stingy and precisely found gestures and movements, the artist reveals the entire complexity of mental life, the flow of thoughts of the heroes. He takes the scene of the painting "The Holy Family" to a poor peasant house, where the father does carpentry, and the young mother carefully guards the baby's sleep. Each thing here is fanned with the breath of poetry, emphasizing the mood of silence, calmness, serenity. This is facilitated by the soft light illuminating the faces of the mother and baby, the subtlest shades of warm golden color.
Christ and Mary Magdalene at the Tomb, 1638, Royal Collection, Windsor
Agatha Bass in front of a window, 1641, Art Gallery, Buckingham Palace
Preacher Cornelis Claes Ansloh and his wife Eltje Gerritsdr Schouten, 1641, Berlin-Dahlem Museum
The images of Rembrandt's graphic works - drawings and etchings - are full of deep inner significance. The democratism of his art is expressed with particular force in the etching Christ Healing the Sick (circa 1649, “One Hundred Guilder Leaf”, so named because of the high price he acquired at auctions). Striking is the penetration of the interpretation of the images of the sick and the suffering, the beggars and the poor, which are contrasted with the self-righteous, richly dressed Pharisees. Genuine monumental scope, picturesqueness, subtle and sharp contrasts of chiaroscuro, tonal richness distinguish his etchings and pen drawings, both thematic and landscape.
A huge place in the later period is occupied by simple but compositions, most often generational portraits of relatives and friends, in which the artist focuses on revealing the spiritual world of the portrayed. Many times he writes to Hendrickje Stoffels, revealing her kindness and friendliness, nobility and dignity - such is, for example, "Hendrickje at the Window" (Berlin, Museum). Often the model is his son Titus, a sickly, fragile youth with a gentle, soulful face. In a portrait with a book (circa 1656, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), the image seems to be permeated with sunlight. Among the most heartfelt are the portrait of Braining (1652, Kassel, Gallery), a young golden-haired man with a mobile face illuminated by an inner light, and a portrait of the withdrawn, sad Jan Sixx (1654, Amsterdam, Six's collection), as if he had stopped in thought, pulling on a glove.
Self-portrait with a felt hat, 1642, Royal Collection, Windsor Castle, London
Bathsheba's Toilet, 1643, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Portrait of a Lady with Folded Hands (Hendrickje Stoffels?), Circa 1650, Royal Collection, London
The artist's later self-portraits also belong to this type of portraits, striking by the versatility of psychological characteristics, the expression of the most elusive movements of the soul. The self-portrait of the Vienna Museum (circa 1652) is executed with noble simplicity and majesty; in "Self-portrait" from the Louvre (1660), the artist portrayed himself meditating, intensely sad. At the same time, a portrait of an old woman, his brother's wife (1654, St. surviving woman. By concentrating light on the face and hands, the artist draws the viewer's attention to them, revealing the spiritual wealth and human dignity of the subjects. Almost all of these portraits are not custom-made: every year there were fewer and fewer orders.
The last decade has been the most tragic time in Rembrandt's life; declared an insolvent debtor, he settles in the poorest quarter of Amsterdam, loses his best friends and loved ones. Hendrickje and his son Titus die. But the misfortunes that befell him could not stop the development of the artist's creative genius. The most profound and beautiful works were written by him at this time. A group portrait of "Sindica" (elders of the cloth workshop, 1662, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum) completes the artist's achievements in this genre. Its vitality lies in the depth and character of each of the portrayed, in the naturalness of the composition, clear and balanced, in the stinginess and accuracy of the selection of details, in the harmony of restrained color scheme and at the same time in creating a coherent image of a group of people united by a community of interests that they defend. An unusual perspective emphasizes the monumental nature of the image, the significance and solemnity of what is happening.
Young woman trying on earrings, 1657, Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Artaxerxes, Aman and Esther, 1660, The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow
Family Portrait, 1668, Duke Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig
A number of large-sized thematic paintings by the master also belong to the late period: "The Conspiracy of Julius Civilis" (1661, Stockholm, National Museum), a historical composition depicting the leader of the Batav tribe, who were considered the ancestors of the Netherlands, who in the 1st century raised the people to revolt against Rome, as well as paintings on biblical subjects: "Artaxerxes, Aman and Esther" (1660, Moscow, Pushkin Museum). The plot of the biblical parable of the prodigal son attracted the artist before, it is found in one of his etchings. But only towards the end of his life did Rembrandt come to its deepest disclosure. In the image of a tired, repentant man who fell on his knees before his father, the tragic path of cognition of life is expressed, and in the image of a father who forgave the prodigal son, the highest happiness available to man, the limit of feelings that fills the heart, is embodied. The solution to this large-sized composition is amazingly simple, where the main characters seem to be illuminated by an inner light, where the gesture of the hands of the father who has found his son again expresses his infinite kindness, and the shriveled figure of a wanderer in dirty rags clinging to his father - all the power of repentance, the tragedy of searching and losses. Other characters are pushed into the background, in partial shade, and their compassion and thoughtfulness only emphasize even more, as if glowing with warm radiance, the fatherly love and forgiveness, which the great Dutch artist left to people as a testament.
The influence of Rembrandt's art was enormous. It affected the creativity not only of his immediate students, of whom Karel Fabricius came closest to the understanding of the teacher, but also the art of every more or less significant Dutch artist. Rembrandt's art had a profound impact on the development of all world realistic art later. While the greatest Dutch artist, having come into conflict with bourgeois society, died in need, other painters, having mastered the skill of truthful rendering of the depicted, managed to achieve recognition and prosperity during their lifetime. Concentrating their efforts in the field of a particular genre of painting, many of them have created significant works in their field.