Rembrandt, one of the greatest painters in the history of Western art, was born in Leiden in 1606, the son of a wealthy miller. At 18, he moved to Amsterdam and started working for Pieter Lastman, a popular painter. Under his tutelage Rembrandt developed his talents as a successful painter and etcher. His use of light and dark gave his subjects a physical presence, which for the first time involved the viewer in the painting.

Independant painter
Rembrandt returned to Leiden to work as an independent painter in his own studio. He worked together with Jan Lievens and his first pupil Gerard Dou. In 1631, he moved back to Amsterdam. One of his first major commissions was the painting 'The anatomical lesson of Dr. Tulp'. The painting was unlike that of any other guild painting at that time and the reaction of Rembrandt's patrons and the general public bordered on sheer amazement. Rembrandt's reputation as a portraitist grew. His brilliant, sharp technique brought him wealth and fame and he was in such high demand that he completed numerous portraits between 1632 and 1634.

Daring and original
'The Night Watch', another major commission, was not a great success at first. His clients were certainly not pleased with the artist's unconventional approach of incorporating action and drama into a portrait scene. The original title of the masterpiece was 'The company of Frans Banning Cocq', and the piece depicts a group portrait of a division of the Civic Guard. Rembrandt portrayed the group of riflemen in a daring and original way. He did not paint them at their annual dinner party or arranged by rank, instead he choose to immortalize them as a lively group. It was not until much later that the painting became known as 'The Night Watch' and received the praise and recognition it deserved.

Poverty
In the final years of his life Rembrandt fell on hard times. Saskia, the love of his life, died at only thirty years of age. By 1656 Rembrandt's financial situation was irreversible and he was forced to declare bankruptcy. The following year his extensive art and costume collection was sold to pay debts. Later his house was auctioned and he, Titus, his son, and Hendrickje, his housemaid and later mistress, moved to a more modest abode on the Rozengracht. Soon after, his son Titus and Hendrickje Stoffels died and Rembrandt had to face more grief. Rembrandt, one of Holland's most respected artists with an enormous legacy to Dutch art, died a poor man in 1669.

In the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam you can admire 21 Rembrandt paintings, including 'The Night Watch'. The museum also owns many works by his pupils Ferdinand Bol and Govert Flinck.