Search Results

Image 1 of 1

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn , artist
Dutch, 1606 - 1669
Jan Lutma, Goldsmith, 1656
Etching, drypoint and burin
20.2 x 15.1 cm (image)
Bequest of Lucie Stern 1973.8.8

Zoom this image

Artist Credit: all

Artist Biography: Rembrandt began his training first in that city with the obscure painter Jacob van Swanenburgh and then as an apprentice in the Amsterdam studio of Pieter Lastman, who instilled in the younger artist a lifelong preference for history painting. Returning briefly to Leiden, Rembrandt worked there in association with Jan Lievens before moving permanently to Amsterdam in late 1631, where he quickly established his reputation as a portraitist. The 1630s was a particularly prosperous decade, during which Rembrandt married Saskia van Uylenburgh, the wealthy niece of the art dealer Hendrick Uylenburgh. While always returning to the human figure as his primary subject, during the 1640s Rembrandt explored the formal properties and emotional potential of the landscape genre. At this time he also experimented with etching, a graphic medium he frequently used in combination with drypoint to achieve a richness of effect. In general, the decade of the 1640s was marked by reversals of both a personal and a professional nature, most notably Saskia's death in 1642, which had been preceded by the deaths of all but one of their four children. At this time Rembrandt developed a broader manner of execution realized in a darker palette, which became more exaggerated in later years. This quality made his portraits less popular with clients who sought precisely rendered detail of face and costume. However, the style was well suited to the introspective portraits and biblical subjects that fascinated him. Rembrandt continued to receive important commissions including the fabled Night Watch (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum) of 1642 and the rejected Conspiracy of the Batavians (Stockholm, Nationalmuseum), commissioned in 1661 for the Amsterdam Town Hall. He also worked for wealthy private patrons, such as Jan Six and Antonio Ruffo of Sicily. A genius of extraordinary technical talent and perception, Rembrandt influenced a large number of students and followers, including Gerard Dou, Carel and Barendt Fabritius, Nicolaes Maes, and Aert de Gelder.~~~Reference: Hollstein, Volumes XVIII, XIX( Christopher White and Karel G. Boon, 1969) ~Hind, Arthur M. A Catalogue of Rembrandt*s Etchings.2nd ed.London, 1923~

Related Keywords
Goldsmith Lutma Jan Stern Lucie Bequest Europe Holland Print burin drypoint Etching Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn Dutch 3185201204640091 A015989 1973.8.8 AFGA