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What’s Rembrandt famous for?
- painting The Nightwatch
- painting honest and moving portraits of all kinds of people
- going bankrupt
NowYouKnowAbout Artists brings your children Rembrandt’s life story in DVD format as an easy introduction to this great historical figure.
Rembrandt was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden, the Netherlands. His family was quite well-to-do; his father was a miller, his mother was a baker's daughter. As a boy he attended Latin school and was enrolled at the University of Leiden, although according to a contemporary he had a greater inclination towards painting; After a brief but important apprenticeship with the famous painter Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam, Rembrandt opened a studio in Leiden and began to accept students.
By 1631, Rembrandt had established such a good reputation that he received several assignments for portraits from Amsterdam. As a result, he moved to that city and into the house of an art dealer, Mr van Uylenburg. There he met Uylenburg’s niece, Saskia van Uylenburg and soon married her. This was likely both a marriage of love and a shrewd business choice. Saskia came from a good family.
Rembrandt and Saskia moved to a large house in Amsterdam. You can visit it today, now the Rembrandt House Museum. Although they were a rich, successful couple there was tragedy in their personal life. Their son Rumbartus died at two months, and their daughter Cornelia died at just 3 weeks of age in 1638. Only their third child, Titus survived into adulthood. Saskia died in 1642 soon after Titus's birth, from tuberculosis. Rembrandt was broken-hearted.
After Saskia’s death, Rembrandt fell in love a much younger servant girl, Hendrickje Stoffels., who had initially been Rembrandt's housekeeper. She took care of Rembrandt and his son, Titus. She kept house and organised his business affairs.
However, Rembrandt was impulsive and extravagant and lived beyond his means, buying art, antiques and rare prints. As a result, he went bankrupt at the age of 50 and this led to an auction of most of his paintings and large collection of antiques. He also had to sell his house and move to a more modest accommodation.
Rembrandt outlived both Hendrickje and Titus who died shortly before his father. After Rembrandt died he was buried in an unmarked grave in the Westerkerk, one of Amsterdam's most precious churches.
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