Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is a gaint in the history of art. His paintings are characterized by luxuriant brushwork, rich colour, and a mastery of chiaroscuro. Numerous portraits and self-portraits exhibit a profound penetration of character. His drawings constitute a vivid record of contemporary Amsterdam life. He was a master of light and shadow. His early work was devoted to showing the lines, light and shade, and color of the people he saw about him. He was influenced by the work of Caravaggio and was fascinated by the work of many other Italian artists. When Rembrandt became established as a painter, he began to teach and continued teaching art throughout his life.

He lived the life of a wealthy, respected citizen and met the beautiful Saskia van Uylenburgh, whom he married in 1634. She was the model for many of his paintings and drawings. Rembrandt's works from this period are characterized by strong lighting effects. When he had no other model, he painted or sketched his own image. It is estimated that he painted between 50 and 60 self-portraits. In the 1630s and 1640s he made many landscape drawings and etchings. His landscape paintings are imaginative, rich portrayals of the land around him.

information cropped and taken from: http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/rembrandt/

Browsing through his masterworks, i feel that Rembrandt really had what it takes to be the greatest artist and printmaker in the European art history as he is known as. The lighting contrast of his paintings is strong yet smooth. It brought about the dramatic element to the painting and is also the most significant features of Rembrandt 's works. His subject matters are usually people. The techniques he used make them seem so realistic that almost become alive.

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