Rembrandt

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 - October 4, 1669) was a Dutch draughtsman, painter, and printmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest visual artists in history, and the most important in Dutch art history. Unlike his peers, Rembrandt's works showcase an incredible range of style and subject matter, from portraits to landscapes, genre scenes, allegorical and historical scenes, biblical themes, animal studies, and more. His contributions came during the Dutch Golden Age, a period of great wealth and cultural achievement. Rembrandt never traveled abroad, yet he was heavily influenced by Italian old masters and Netherlandish painters who had studied in Italy. He achieved early success as a portrait painter but faced personal tragedy and financial hardship later in life. Despite this, his etchings and paintings remained popular throughout his lifetime, and for twenty years, he taught many important Dutch painters. Rembrandt's greatest masterpieces are his portraits of contemporaries, self-portraits, and illustrations of biblical scenes. His self-portraits form a unique biography, where the artist surveys himself without vanity or pretension. He established a reputation as the greatest etcher in history during his lifetime, which has never been questioned since. Few of his paintings left the Dutch Republic while he was alive, but his prints were circulated throughout Europe, establishing his wider reputation. In his paintings and prints, Rembrandt showcased knowledge of classical iconography, molding it to fit his own experiences. His depiction of biblical scenes was informed by his understanding of specific texts, classical composition, and observations of Amsterdam's Jewish population. Due to his empathy for the human condition, he has been called "one of the great prophets of civilization."