Rembrandt Van Rijn
Rembrandt van Rijn is my favourite painter. The son of a prosperous miller, Rembrandt was born in Leiden in 1608. He was trained as a painter by two minor local artists. His rapid success promoted him to move to Amsterdam in 1631.
The universal artist dealt with many world subjects. Rembrandt created a number of portraits and group portraits. The best of them are the "Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp" and "The Night Watch". Mystery dominates in the "Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp". The subject of "The Night Watch" is the formation of the milita company for a parade. Rembrandt has turned a narrative prose into a dramatic poetry. All the men paid equally to have themselves depicted in this group portrait, yet some are sunk in shadow, ore man is concealed except for his eyes. It was inevitable for Rembrandt to loose his popularity as a portrait painter.
In 1669, the year of his own death, Rembrandt painted his famous "Return of the Prodigal Son". It is the peak of Christian spirituality. It shows the relationship of the self to the Eternity.
Rembrandt was not understood when he was alive. He died in poverty. But it is the spirituality of his art that marks Rembrandt from his Dutch contemporaries making him the greatest artist of the world.
The universal artist dealt with many world subjects. Rembrandt created a number of portraits and group portraits. The best of them are the "Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp" and "The Night Watch". Mystery dominates in the "Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp". The subject of "The Night Watch" is the formation of the milita company for a parade. Rembrandt has turned a narrative prose into a dramatic poetry. All the men paid equally to have themselves depicted in this group portrait, yet some are sunk in shadow, ore man is concealed except for his eyes. It was inevitable for Rembrandt to loose his popularity as a portrait painter.
In 1669, the year of his own death, Rembrandt painted his famous "Return of the Prodigal Son". It is the peak of Christian spirituality. It shows the relationship of the self to the Eternity.
Rembrandt was not understood when he was alive. He died in poverty. But it is the spirituality of his art that marks Rembrandt from his Dutch contemporaries making him the greatest artist of the world.