The Story Behind these Rembrandt Prints

Rembrandt (1606-1669) is regarded as the greatest Dutch painter in history and was a prominent figure during the Dutch Golden Age. Born in Leaden to a large, wealthy family, he was the youngest of nine children. He achieved early success and had opened his first studio by 19 and became an art tutor at 21.

In 1631, he moved to Amsterdam and became a successful portrait painter. As is apparent across these Rembrandt prints, he had a talent for evoking the personalities and spirits of his subject matter and a great ability to capture people in motion and movement. His style explored aspects of light and dark, such as The Night Watch, with pockets of illumination and large areas obscured by shadows. He enticed viewers by drawing them towards the dominant focal point and then journeying them around further details throughout his paintings.

Rembrandt was reckless with his wealth and was very poor in his later life, despite him having been so successful. He had been widowed, rejected from the Night Watch and his artistic approach had fallen out of fashion. But Rembrandt’s late style is often considered in its own light; as his inner anguish and rebellion poured out into his paintings. The dark expression throughout the later Rembrandt prints is a representation of his defiance, as seen in his self-portrait of 1659.