1606–1669

Rembrandt van Rijn

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born in Leiden and worked in Amsterdam from the early 1630s. He became the leading Dutch painter of his generation, celebrated for portraits, biblical scenes and group commissions such as The Night Watch (1642). He was also an influential etcher and draftsman. Across some four decades he made dozens of painted self-portraits, an unusually candid record of aging. Despite early success, he faced bankruptcy in 1656 and died in Amsterdam in 1669.