Vincent van Gogh | Biography, Art, & Facts | Britannica
Vincent van Gogh (born March 30, 1853, Zundert, Netherlands—died July 29, 1890, Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, France) was a Dutch painter, ...
Rembrandt
Van Gogh worked for Goupil in London from 1873 to May 1875 and in Paris from that date until April 1876. Daily contact with works of art aroused his artistic sensibility, and he soon formed a taste for <anchor>Rembrandt</anchor>, Frans Hals, and other Dutch masters, although his preference was for two contemporary French painters, Jean-François Millet and Camille Corot, whose influence was to last throughout his life. Van Gogh disliked art dealing. Moreover, his approach to life darkened when his love was rejected by a London girl in 1874. His burning desire for human affection thwarted, he became increasingly solitary. He worked as a language teacher and lay preacher in England and, in 1877, worked for a bookseller in Dordrecht, Netherlands. Impelled by a longing to serve humanity, he envisaged entering the ministry and took up theology; however, he abandoned this project in 1878 for short-term training as an evangelist in Brussels. A conflict with authority ensued when he disputed the orthodox doctrinal approach. Failing to get an appointment after three months, he left to do missionary work among the impoverished population of the Borinage, a coal-mining region in southwestern Belgium. There, in the winter of 1879–80, he experienced the first great spiritual crisis of his life. Living among the poor, he gave away all his worldly goods in an impassioned moment; he was thereupon dismissed by church authorities for a too-literal interpretation of Christian teaching.
Rembrandt | Biography, Art, Paintings, Self-Portraits, & Facts | Britannica
Rembrandt \| Biography, Art, Paintings, Self-Portraits, & Facts \| Britannica

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[Rembrandt](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn)

Table of Contents


- [Introduction & Top Questions](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn)

- [Early years](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn#ref28996)

- [The Leiden period (1625–31)](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/The-Leiden-period-1625-31)



- [Etching](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/The-Leiden-period-1625-31#ref251312)

- [Teaching](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/The-Leiden-period-1625-31#ref251313)

- [First Amsterdam period (1631–1635/36)](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/First-Amsterdam-period-1631-1635-36)



- [Portraits](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/First-Amsterdam-period-1631-1635-36#ref251315)

- [Rembrandt and religion](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/First-Amsterdam-period-1631-1635-36#ref251316)

- [Rembrandt and Rubens](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Rembrandt-and-Rubens)

- [Second Amsterdam period (1635–42)](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Rembrandt-and-Rubens#ref251318)



- [Growing fame](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Rembrandt-and-Rubens#ref251319)

- [_Night Watch_](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Night-Watch)

- [Third Amsterdam period (1643–58)](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Night-Watch#ref251321)



- [The myth of Rembrandt’s fall](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Night-Watch#ref251322)

- [Rembrandt’s late style](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Rembrandts-late-style)

- [Domestic turmoil](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Rembrandts-late-style#ref251324)

- [Rembrandt’s collecting](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Rembrandts-late-style#ref251325)

- [Fourth Amsterdam period (1658–69)](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Fourth-Amsterdam-period-1658-69)

- [Legacy](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Legacy)



- [Rembrandt’s legacy](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Legacy#ref251328)

- [Research and attribution](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/Legacy#ref251329)

[References & Edit History](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/additional-info) [Quick Facts & Related Topics](/facts/Rembrandt-van-Rijn)

[Images & Videos](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/images-videos)

[![Rembrandt: Self-Portrait](https://cdn.britannica.com/82/190482-004-D2142CB5/Self-Portrait-canvas-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-Washington-DC.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/82/190482-050-33D2C4C5/Self-Portrait-canvas-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-Washington-DC.jpg)[![Did The Night Watch cause Rembrandt's downfall?](https://cdn.britannica.com/98/240498-138-7736B25A/Rembrandt-van-Rijn-The-Night-Watch.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](/video/240498/Rembrandt-van-Rijn-The-Night-Watch)[![Rembrandt: Self-Portrait](https://cdn.britannica.com/93/196993-004-949719B1/Self-portrait-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-circa-1628.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/93/196993-050-4357AA5E/Self-portrait-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-circa-1628.jpg)[![Rembrandt: Self-Portrait Etching at a Window](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/215594-004-8A71B73E/Self-portrait-etching-at-a-Window-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-1648-Art-Institute-Chicago.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/215594-050-3AB1CA80/Self-portrait-etching-at-a-Window-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-1648-Art-Institute-Chicago.jpg)[![Rembrandt: Woman with the Arrow](https://cdn.britannica.com/45/166245-004-6E8D49AC/Woman-Arrow-etching-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-National.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/45/166245-050-874910FB/Woman-Arrow-etching-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-National.jpg)[![Rembrandt: The Three Trees](https://cdn.britannica.com/29/188529-004-2E2ECBCF/Three-Trees-engraving-drypoint-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-1643.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/29/188529-050-55A0ADBC/Three-Trees-engraving-drypoint-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-1643.jpg)[![Rembrandt: Portrait of the Artist Bare-Headed](https://cdn.britannica.com/30/121130-004-7DE9CA3D/Portrait-Artist-oil-wood-Bare-Headed-Rembrandt-van.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/30/121130-050-E4ABAF87/Portrait-Artist-oil-wood-Bare-Headed-Rembrandt-van.jpg)[![Rembrandt: Portrait of the Artist with Tocque and Gold Chain](https://cdn.britannica.com/31/121131-004-5C060B11/Portrait-Artist-wood-oil-Tocque-Gold-Chain.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/31/121131-050-D35E1EAD/Portrait-Artist-wood-oil-Tocque-Gold-Chain.jpg)[![Rembrandt: Study of an Old Man in Profile](https://cdn.britannica.com/12/190412-004-7F5EEF1C/Study-of-an-Old-Man-in-Profile-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-circa-1830.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/12/190412-050-DEF3A9CE/Study-of-an-Old-Man-in-Profile-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-circa-1830.jpg)[![Rembrandt: Bathsheba at Her Bath](https://cdn.britannica.com/93/121093-004-BA1C8D8D/Bathsheba-at-Her-Bath-canvas-Rembrandt-van.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/93/121093-050-8367B020/Bathsheba-at-Her-Bath-canvas-Rembrandt-van.jpg)

Quizzes


[![Color pastels, colored chalk, colorful chalk. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, history and society](https://cdn.britannica.com/74/129374-131-833AE3CF/Chalk.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/quiz/ultimate-art-quiz)

[Ultimate Art Quiz](/quiz/ultimate-art-quiz)

[![Close-up of a palette held by a man. Mixing paint, painting, color mixing.](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/151885-131-F94726A4/Close-up-man-palette-color-mixing-paint-painting.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/quiz/artists-painters-architects)

[Artists, Painters, & Architects](/quiz/artists-painters-architects)

[![Self-Portrait, oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1889; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Overall: 57.2 x 43.8 cm., framed: 82.9 x 69.2 x 6.7 cm.](https://cdn.britannica.com/83/190483-131-483D5B69/Self-Portrait-canvas-Vincent-van-Gogh-National-Gallery-1889.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/quiz/name-that-artist)

[Name That Artist](/quiz/name-that-artist)

[![Tate Modern extension Switch House, London, England. (Tavatnik, museums). Photo dated 2017.](https://cdn.britannica.com/13/229013-131-CF011E83/Tate-Modern-Switch-House-London-England.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/quiz/can-you-match-these-lesser-known-paintings-to-their-artists)

[Can You Match These Lesser-Known Paintings to Their Artists?](/quiz/can-you-match-these-lesser-known-paintings-to-their-artists)

[!["The Birth of Venus," tempera on canvas by Sandro Botticelli, c. 1485; in the Uffizi, Florence.](https://cdn.britannica.com/32/91732-131-E8BF5F79/The-Birth-of-Venus-canvas-Sandro-Botticelli.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/quiz/who-painted-the-most-expensive-paintings-in-the-world)

[Who Painted the Most Expensive Paintings in the World?](/quiz/who-painted-the-most-expensive-paintings-in-the-world)

Related Questions


- [Why is Rembrandt important?](/question/Why-is-Rembrandt-important)
- [How was Rembrandt educated?](/question/How-was-Rembrandt-educated)
- [What did Rembrandt create?](/question/What-did-Rembrandt-create)

Read Next


[!["Self-Portrait Etching at a Window" etching (drypoint and burin in black on ivory laid paper) by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1648; in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/215594-131-6113A6CE/Self-portrait-etching-at-a-Window-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-1648-Art-Institute-Chicago.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/explore-the-beauty-of-oil-paintings-with-these-5-works-by-rembrandt)

[Explore the Beauty of Oil Paintings with These 5 Works by Rembrandt](/list/explore-the-beauty-of-oil-paintings-with-these-5-works-by-rembrandt)

[![Aerial view of Florence (Firenze), Italy from the campanile of the Duomo, with the gigantic dome (designed by Filippo Brunelleschi) in the foreground. Unidentifiable tourists are visible on top of the dome, which provide a measure of the building s scale.](https://cdn.britannica.com/67/215467-131-5A200489/Aerial-view-dome-Cathedral-Santa-Maria-del-Fiore-Florence-Italy.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/25-famous-paintings-to-see-the-next-time-youre-in-florence)

[25 Famous Paintings to See the Next Time You’re in Florence](/list/25-famous-paintings-to-see-the-next-time-youre-in-florence)

[![Painting palette with oil paints and brushes. Rainbow colored paints, arts and entertainment](https://cdn.britannica.com/35/179035-131-9646BA4D/Oil-paints-consistency-paste-variety-colors-brushes.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/art-history-the-origins-of-7-of-your-favorite-art-supplies)

[Art History: The Origins of 7 of Your Favorite Art Supplies](/list/art-history-the-origins-of-7-of-your-favorite-art-supplies)

[![National Museum of Fine Arts. National museum building located on peninsula Blasieholmen in city centre with near Lake Malaren channel view from old town quarter Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden](https://cdn.britannica.com/02/220302-131-3BE40348/National-Museum-Fine-Arts-Stockholm-Sweden.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/14-significant-paintings-at-nationalmuseum-in-stockholm)

[14 Significant Paintings at Nationalmuseum in Sweden](/list/14-significant-paintings-at-nationalmuseum-in-stockholm)

[![Colorful abstract painting. Contemporary painting. Not a Jackson Pollock. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, history and society](https://cdn.britannica.com/75/129375-131-D6125FA8/painting-blog-history-entertainment-Jackson-Pollock-Hompepage-2009.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/7-tongue-twisting-painting-techniques)

[7 Tongue-Twisting Painting Techniques](/list/7-tongue-twisting-painting-techniques)

Discover


[![President Kennedy address on Test Ban Treaty, White House, Oval Office, July 26, 1963. President John F. Kennedy, President Kennedy](https://cdn.britannica.com/46/146446-131-83C57663/John-F-Kennedy-Test-Ban-Treaty-Oval-July-26-1963.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/11-memorable-quotes-from-us-presidential-debates)

[11 Memorable Quotes from U.S. Presidential Debates](/list/11-memorable-quotes-from-us-presidential-debates)

[![Close-up of ostriches (Struthio camelus) necks and heads; location unknown.](https://cdn.britannica.com/58/152058-131-0EB52C8F/Ostriches.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/6-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-birds)

[6 of the World's Most Dangerous Birds](/list/6-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-birds)

[![King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)](https://cdn.britannica.com/68/152568-131-E6B869A4/King-cobra-world-snake.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/9-of-the-worlds-deadliest-snakes)

[9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes](/list/9-of-the-worlds-deadliest-snakes)

[![Presidential Debate Bingo. As candidates for the Republican Party's nomination for the 2024 presidential election take to the stage to debate the issues and each other, keep track of the facts you need to know with updated Britannica entries. As with every Bingo game, if you connect five tiles in a row, celebrate!](https://cdn.britannica.com/66/249866-004-B67557FB/presidential-debate-bingo.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/story/presidential-debate-bingo)

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[Why Is a Baker’s Dozen 13?](/story/why-is-a-bakers-dozen-13)

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[![Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.](https://cdn.britannica.com/23/176123-131-94DCF6F8/Aphrodite.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/12-greek-gods-and-goddesses)

[12 Greek Gods and Goddesses](/list/12-greek-gods-and-goddesses)


Contents


[Visual Arts](/browse/Visual-Arts)[Painting](/browse/Painting)[Painters](/browse/Painters)

[![](https://cdn.britannica.com/82/190482-050-33D2C4C5/Self-Portrait-canvas-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-Washington-DC.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/82/190482-050-33D2C4C5/Self-Portrait-canvas-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-Washington-DC.jpg)

[Rembrandt: _Self-Portrait_](https://cdn.britannica.com/82/190482-050-33D2C4C5/Self-Portrait-canvas-Rembrandt-van-Rijn-Washington-DC.jpg) _Self-Portrait_, oil on canvas by Rembrandt, 1659; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.(more)

# Rembrandt

Dutch artist



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External Websites


- [Web Gallery of Art - Biography of Harmenszoon van Rijn Rembrandt](https://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/r/rembrand/)
- [The National Gallery - Rembrandt](https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/rembrandt)
- [Jewish Virtual Library - Biography of Rembrandt van Rijn](https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/rembrandt-van-rijn)
- [The J. Paul Getty Museum - Rembrandt and the Inspiration of India](https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/rembrandt_india/inner.html)
- [The Art Story - Rembrandt van Rijn](https://www.theartstory.org/artist/rembrandt-van-rijn/)
- [The Met - Biography of Rembrandt van Rijn](https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rmbt/hd_rmbt.htm)
- [National Gallery of Art, Washington - Biography of Rembrandt van Rijn](https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1822.html)
- [Art in Context - Rembrandt van Rijn – Visiting the Influential Rembrandt Time Period](https://artincontext.org/rembrandt-van-rijn/)
- [Art UK - Biography of Rembrandt van Rijn](https://artuk.org/discover/artists/rembrandt-van-rijn-16061669)

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

- [Rembrandt - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Rembrandt/390592)
- [Rembrandt - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Rembrandt/276690)



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- [Web Gallery of Art - Biography of Harmenszoon van Rijn Rembrandt](https://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/r/rembrand/)
- [The National Gallery - Rembrandt](https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/rembrandt)
- [Jewish Virtual Library - Biography of Rembrandt van Rijn](https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/rembrandt-van-rijn)
- [The J. Paul Getty Museum - Rembrandt and the Inspiration of India](https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/rembrandt_india/inner.html)
- [The Art Story - Rembrandt van Rijn](https://www.theartstory.org/artist/rembrandt-van-rijn/)
- [The Met - Biography of Rembrandt van Rijn](https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rmbt/hd_rmbt.htm)
- [National Gallery of Art, Washington - Biography of Rembrandt van Rijn](https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1822.html)
- [Art in Context - Rembrandt van Rijn – Visiting the Influential Rembrandt Time Period](https://artincontext.org/rembrandt-van-rijn/)
- [Art UK - Biography of Rembrandt van Rijn](https://artuk.org/discover/artists/rembrandt-van-rijn-16061669)

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

- [Rembrandt - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Rembrandt/390592)
- [Rembrandt - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Rembrandt/276690)

Also known as: Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Rembrant van Rijn


Written by


[Ernst van de Wetering\
\
Director of the Rembrandt Project. Former Professor of Art History, University of Amsterdam. Author of _Rembrandt: The Painter at Work_ and others.](/contributor/Ernst-van-de-Wetering/6225)

Ernst van de Wetering

Fact-checked by

[The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica\
\
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.](/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419)

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated:

Sep 13, 2024
• [Article History](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/additional-info#history)


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Quick Facts

In full: Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn_(Show more)_

Rembrandt originally spelled: Rembrant_(Show more)_

Born: July 15, 1606, [Leiden](/place/Leiden), [Netherlands](/place/Netherlands)_(Show more)_

Died: October 4, 1669, [Amsterdam](/place/Amsterdam) (aged 63)_(Show more)_

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### Why is Rembrandt important?

Dutch painter and printmaker Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–69) is considered one of the greatest storytellers in art, unusually gifted in rendering people in various moods and guises. His works suggest an acute and loving attention toward the world around him and a strong understanding of the significant detail—a dual quality that inspired later artists.

### How was Rembrandt educated?

About age 10, Rembrandt entered the Latin School in [Leiden](https://www.britannica.com/place/Leiden), where he studied Classical and biblical works and [oratory](https://www.britannica.com/art/oratory-rhetoric), but he soon left to train as an artist. He learned how to render everything from landscape to architecture, from still life to drapery, from animals to people and how to arrange them in complex scenes.

### What did Rembrandt create?

Rembrandt created works in several genres, including portraits and “history pieces.” Group portraits included _The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp_ (1632), _Night Watch_ (1642), and _The Syndics of the Amsterdam Drapers’ Guild_ (1662). “History pieces” included _Judas Repentant_ (1628/29), _Descent from the Cross_ (1632/33), _Jacob’s Blessing_ (1656), and _Conspiracy of the Batavians_ (1661).

## Recent News

Sep. 10, 2024, 3:23 AM ET (ABC News (U.S.))


[From attic to auction: A Rembrandt painting sells for $1.4M in Maine](https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/attic-auction-rembrandt-painting-sells-14m-maine-113381153)

Sep. 9, 2024, 12:08 PM ET (CNN)


[A portrait found in a Maine attic unexpectedly sold for $1.4M. Could it be a long-lost Rembrandt?](https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/08/style/maine-auction-attic-portrait-rembrandt/index.html)

Sep. 4, 2024, 4:51 PM ET (AP)


[From attic to auction: A Rembrandt painting sells for $1.4M in Maine](/news/497584/26a7b61ea1b87cafa092da4fc8b9eb81)

**Rembrandt** (born July 15, 1606, Leiden, Netherlands—died October 4, 1669, Amsterdam) was a Dutch [Baroque](https://www.britannica.com/art/Baroque-art-and-architecture) [painter](https://www.britannica.com/art/painting) and [printmaker](https://www.britannica.com/art/printmaking), one of the greatest storytellers in the [history of art](https://www.britannica.com/art/Western-painting), possessing an exceptional ability to render people in their various moods and dramatic guises. Rembrandt is also known as a painter of light and shade and as an artist who favoured an uncompromising [realism](https://www.britannica.com/art/realism-art) that would lead some critics to claim that he preferred ugliness to beauty.

[![Did The Night Watch cause Rembrandt's downfall?](https://cdn.britannica.com/98/240498-138-7736B25A/Rembrandt-van-Rijn-The-Night-Watch.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)](/video/240498/Rembrandt-van-Rijn-The-Night-Watch)

Did _The Night Watch_ cause Rembrandt's downfall?Painted in 1642, Rembrandt's _The Night Watch_ is a commissioned group portrait of a militia company. (more)

[See all videos for this article](/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn/images-videos)

Early in his career and for some time, Rembrandt painted mainly portraits. Although he continued to paint—and [etch](https://www.britannica.com/topic/etching-printing) and, occasionally, [draw](https://www.britannica.com/art/drawing-art)—portraits throughout his career, he did so less frequently over time. Roughly one-tenth of his painted and etched [oeuvre](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oeuvre) consists of studies of his own face as well as more-formal [self-portraits](https://www.britannica.com/art/self-portrait), a fact that has led to much speculation.

The core of Rembrandt’s oeuvre, however, consists of biblical and—to a much lesser extent—historical, mythological, and allegorical “history pieces,” all of which he painted, etched, or [sketched](https://www.britannica.com/art/sketch-art) in [pen and ink](https://www.britannica.com/art/pen-drawing) or [chalk](https://www.britannica.com/art/chalk-drawing). Seen over his whole career, the changes in Rembrandt’s style are remarkable. His approach to [composition](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/composition) and his rendering of space and light—like his handling of [contour](https://www.britannica.com/art/contour-drawing), form, and colour, his brushwork, and (in his drawings and [etchings](https://www.britannica.com/topic/etching-printing)) his treatment of line and tone—are subject to gradual (or sometimes abrupt) transformation, even within a single work. The [painting](https://www.britannica.com/art/painting) known as _[Night Watch](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Night-Watch)_ (1640/42) was clearly a turning point in his stylistic development. These changes are not the result of an involuntary evolution; rather they should be seen as documenting a conscious search in pictorial and narrative respects, sometimes in discussion, as it were, with his great predecessors.

Rembrandt quickly achieved renown among Dutch art lovers and an art-buying public for his history paintings and etchings, as well as his portraits and self-portraits. His unusual etchings brought him international fame during his lifetime, and his drawings, which in fact were done as practice exercises or as studies for other works, were also collected by contemporary art lovers.

[![Tate Modern extension Switch House, London, England. (Tavatnik, museums). Photo dated 2017.](https://cdn.britannica.com/13/229013-131-CF011E83/Tate-Modern-Switch-House-London-England.jpg)\
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Britannica Quiz\
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Can You Match These Lesser-Known Paintings to Their Artists?](/quiz/can-you-match-these-lesser-known-paintings-to-their-artists)

According to the [myth](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myth) that evolved after his death, Rembrandt died poor and misunderstood. It is true that by the end of his life his realism had been supplanted by [Classicism](https://www.britannica.com/art/Neoclassicism) and had become unfashionable in [Holland](https://www.britannica.com/place/Holland-historical-region-Netherlands). Nevertheless, his international reputation among [connoisseurs](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/connoisseurs) and [collectors](https://www.britannica.com/art/art-collection) only continued to rise. Certain artists in 18th-century [Germany](https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany) and [Venice](https://www.britannica.com/place/Venice) even adopted his style. He was venerated during the [Romantic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Romantic) era and was considered a forerunner of the [Romantic movement](https://www.britannica.com/art/Romanticism); from that point he was regarded as one of the greatest figures in [art history](https://www.britannica.com/art/art-history). In [the Netherlands](https://www.britannica.com/place/Netherlands) itself, his fortunes have once again risen, and he has become a symbol of both greatness and Dutch-ness.

## Early years

Rembrandt was the fourth of 6 surviving children out of 10. Unlike many painters of his time, he did not come from a family of artists or craftsmen; his father, Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn (1568–1630), was a miller. His mother, Neeltgen Willemsdochter van Zuytbrouck (1568–1640), came from a family of bakers.

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The [first name](https://www.britannica.com/topic/given-name) Rembrandt was—and still is—extremely rare. It is akin to more common Dutch first names such as Remmert, Gerbrand, and IJsbrand. The way Rembrandt inscribed his name on his work evolved significantly. As a young man, he signed his work only with the monogram RH (Rembrant Harmenszoon, “son of Harmen”); from 1626/27, with RHL; and in 1632, with RHL van Rijn (the _L_ in the monogram presumably standing for Leidensis, “from [Leiden](https://www.britannica.com/place/Leiden),” the town in which he was born). At age 26 he began to sign his work with his first name only, Rembrant (ending only with a _-t_); from early 1633 onward until his death, he spelled his name Rembrandt (with _-dt_) and signed his works that way. It has been suggested that he began using his first name as his signature because he considered himself the equal of the great artists of the 15th and 16th centuries; [Michelangelo](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michelangelo) (Michelangelo Buonarroti), [Titian](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Titian) (Tiziano Vecellio), and [Raphael](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Raphael-Italian-painter-and-architect) (Raffaello Sanzio) were also generally known by their first names.

Like most Dutch children of his day, Rembrandt [attended](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/attended) elementary school (c. 1612–16), after which, from roughly 1616 to 1620, he attended the Latin School in Leiden, where biblical studies and classics were the main subjects taught. The school’s emphasis on [oratory](https://www.britannica.com/art/oratory-rhetoric) skills may have contributed to his ability to “stage” the figures in scenes depicted in his history paintings, drawings, and etchings. It is not clear whether Rembrandt completed his course of study at the Latin School. His first biographer, Jan Janszoon Orlers (1570–1646), provided a laudatory half-page biography of Rembrandt within his _Beschrijvinge der stadt Leyden_ (1641; “Description of the Town of Leiden”). There Orlers wrote that Rembrandt was taken out of school prematurely and, at his own request, was sent to be trained as a painter. The fact that Rembrandt was enrolled in [Leiden University](https://www.britannica.com/topic/State-University-of-Leiden) on May 20, 1620, does not necessarily contradict this. Whether for tax reasons or simply because they had attended the Latin School, it was not unusual for Leiden boys to be registered as students without being expected to attend any lectures. The extent of Rembrandt’s [intellectual](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intellectual) development and any possible influence this might have had on his work remain matters of speculation.

From approximately 1620 to 1624/25, Rembrandt trained as an artist. As was quite common in his time, he had two masters in succession. Rembrandt’s first master was the Leiden painter Jacob van Swanenburgh (1571–1638), with whom, according to Orlers, he remained for about three years. Van Swanenburgh must have taught him the basic skills and imparted the knowledge necessary for the profession. He was a specialist in architectural pieces and in scenes of [hell](https://www.britannica.com/topic/hell) and the underworld, which called for skill in painting [fire](https://www.britannica.com/science/fire-combustion) and its reflections on the surrounding objects. In Rembrandt’s time this skill was considered distinct and demanding. It may well be that Rembrandt’s early exposure to this kind of pictorial problem underlies his lasting interest in the effects of light.

Rembrandt’s second teacher, [Pieter Lastman](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pieter-Lastman) (1583–1633), lived in [Amsterdam](https://www.britannica.com/place/Amsterdam). According to Orlers, Rembrandt stayed with him for six months. Working with Lastman, who was well known at that time as a history painter, must have helped Rembrandt gain the knowledge and skill necessary to master that [genre](https://www.britannica.com/art/genre-painting). History painting involved placing various figures from biblical, historical, mythological, or allegorical scenes in complex settings. In the 17th-century [hierarchy](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hierarchy) of the various [genres](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genres), history painting held the highest position, because it required a complete command of all subjects, from landscape to architecture, from [still life](https://www.britannica.com/art/still-life-painting) to drapery, from animals to, above all, the human figure, in a wide range of postures, expressions, and costumes. One Rembrandt biographer, [Arnold Houbraken](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arnold-Houbraken), mentions another Amsterdam history painter, Jakob Pynas, as one of Rembrandt’s teachers. (In 1718 Houbraken wrote the most extensive early [biography](https://www.britannica.com/art/biography-narrative-genre) and characterization of Rembrandt as an artist, although it was mixed with spurious anecdotes.)

On the basis of stylistic arguments, one could [speculate](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/speculate) on the impact that [Jan Lievens](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jan-Lievens) may have had on Rembrandt during his training. Lievens, one year younger than Rembrandt and originally a child prodigy, was already a full-fledged artist by the time Rembrandt must have decided to become a painter. Although scholars know for certain only that Rembrandt and Lievens worked closely together for some years after Rembrandt had returned to Leiden about 1625, following his training with Lastman, the contacts between these two Leiden boys may have begun earlier. However, no trace of Rembrandt’s student exercises has survived.