Art makes our life more interesting and more beautiful. There are people who will remain in memory for many centuries, whose work will be inherited by new generations.
After reading this article, you will become closer to understanding the heritage of world art, which was left behind by the great master - artist Rembrandt van Rijn.
Biography
Today he is called a master of shadows, as well as a man who could put absolutely any emotion on the canvas. Next, get acquainted with the path of life that he had to go.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn (1606-1669) was born in the Netherlands, in the city of Leiden. From a young age he was interested in painting, and from the age of 13 he studied fine art with Jacob van Svanenbürch, who was a historical painter.
After that, it is known that Rembrandt studied at the age of 17 with Peter Lastman, having arrived in Amsterdam. His teacher specialized in biblical motifs and mythology.
Went about his business
By the age of 21, Rembrandt van Rijn, together with his friend, had opened a drawing workshop and held regular student enrollments and classes in the visual arts. Literally a few years passed, and he became popular among others as a master of his craft.
Together with his friend Leavens, they were already creating masterpieces at that time, and they were noticed by Konstantin Huygens, who was secretary of the Prince of Orange. He called the painting with Judas one of the best works of art of antiquity. He played a big role in becoming an artist, helping to establish contacts with wealthy clients.
New life in Amsterdam
By 1631, Rembrandt van Rijn had completely moved to live in Amsterdam. Life in this city was full of orders from powerful clients who saw in him a great young artist. At this time, his friend went to study in England, where he also tried to achieve success under the auspices of a new teacher.
Meanwhile, the artist begins to get involved in portraying faces. He is interested in the facial expressions of each person, he is trying to experiment with the drawn heads of people. Rembrandt van Rijn was able to accurately convey everything that was said by the eyes of the person from whom he wrote a masterpiece.
It was portraits at that time that brought the artist commercial success. In addition, he was fond of self-portraits. You can find many of his works, where he portrayed himself in imaginary costumes and robes, interesting poses.
Time of glory
Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn gained universal recognition in Amsterdam after writing the painting “Doctor Tulp's Anatomy Lesson” in 1632, where he portrayed surgeons whom the doctor taught to dissect using the example of a corpse.
If you look at this picture, you can see that thin line with which the master depicted the facial expression of each of them. These are not just the faces of people, he managed to convey the general guarded emotion of a whole group of students.
And the way he depicted the shadow in the picture struck many experts of that time. They unanimously began to say that Rembrantd Harmenszoon Van Rijn had matured along with his paintings.
We can say that this time is considered one of the most favorable in the life of a young artist. After his marriage to Saskia van Eilenburh in 1634, orders fell on his head with such speed that he did not have time to draw.
In the first years of his life in the new city, more than 50 paintings were managed by young Rembrandt van Rijn. The paintings were special and vibrant, writers recalled his creations more than once. For example, Jost van den Vondel, the then famous poet and playwright, paid tribute to the author in his poems about his portrait of Cornelis Anslo.
At that time, he had enough money to buy his own mansion. Carried away by art and studying the works of classics and other masters, he filled his house with well-known works of his contemporaries, as well as creations of ancient times.
Family life
Today's art critics point out the good works of the time that Rembrandt van Rijn wrote. The paintings of his wife Saskia in various clothes and on a different background indicate that the master was fully ripe and began to create his art on canvases.
There was grief - the three children who appeared with him during marriage died at a young age. But in 1641, the couple had a son, Titus, who was an outlet for young parents. That turbulent time was perfectly imprinted on the artist’s painting “The Prodigal Son in the Tavern”.
Unpleasant event
Further, the biography of Rembrandt van Rijn begins to take on even darker shades. A year after the birth of a son, his wife dies.
As in the early years, the great artist’s imagination always encouraged him to create paintings with certain biblical subjects. What is his painting “The Sacrifice of Abraham”, which he painted in 1635, worth! So clearly conveyed emotions and mood, you begin to worry that it is worth blinking, as soon as the knife is thrust into the flesh.
In contemporary art, such a feeling can be conveyed only to photographers who take a clear picture in motion. Indeed, his ability to portray the atmosphere of situations processed by the imagination of the great master is amazing.
Start of problems
The death of his wife did not end with the failure of the artist. The views of the artist gradually changed. The young Rembrandt van Rijn, whose work delighted his contemporaries, gradually disappeared.
In 1642 he received a great offer to paint a portrait of the musketeers, which was to be placed in the newly-built building of the Shooting Society. It was one of the largest paintings that the master ever painted - it reached four meters.
According to the customers' vision, the artist was to create an ordinary portrait of the soldiers, which would radiate strength and confidence. Unfortunately, the artist Rembrandt van Rijn completed the task in his own way.
As can be seen in the picture "Night Watch", which is given below, his work can hardly be called a portrait. The canvas depicts a whole scene of the preparation of a rifle company for a sudden campaign.
And you can see how the motion froze in the picture. This is a separate shot from the life of soldiers. There was a lot of resentment from customers about this. Some musketeers were relegated to the background, and someone was completely captured in an awkward pose.
In addition, the sharp play of light and shadow, which, perhaps, no one could depict so vividly and boldly on the canvas, also did not cause admiration.
After that, Rembrandt van Rijn, whose works yesterday were considered one of the best, began to become not interesting to a high-ranking public. And this meant at that time that nobody would do expensive orders with him either.
Now imagine a man who lived his whole life in a big way, and then sharply lost his source of income. Can he already give up his usual life?
Modernity required detailing of paintings
Students are gradually leaving him. Rembrandt’s vision is gradually becoming out of sync with the fashion of the time - new trends have gone towards maximum detail. That is, if the artist began to paint as he did in his youth, then there would be considerable demand for him.
But life is unpredictable, just like a real creative person. His hand gained strength, he liked to play with the shadow, blurring the clear edges of objects.
The inability to make good money affected his financial situation. Given that his late wife was a lady from a wealthy family, her dowry passed entirely into his possession. And, having no income, he simply spent it, or “burned”, for his needs.
At the end of the forties of the 17th century, he met with his maid Hendrikier. She can be seen in some of his paintings. At that time, the laws were strict with regard to family ties, and his muse was condemned by the court when they had baby Cornelia.
It is difficult to find famous paintings of this period of the artist’s life. He gradually moved away from many containing motives and scenes that he wrote in the recent past.
But he, as a creative person, showed himself in other areas. At that time, he already masterfully performed etchings. It took him as long as 7 years to complete a masterpiece called "Christ Healing the Sick."
He was able to sell it for 100 guilders large enough for that time. This etching is considered the best of those that Rembrandt could create.
Rembrandt Sunset
An older artist is increasingly faced with material problems. In 1656, he became completely bankrupt, passing all his inheritance to his son. There was nothing to live for. A year later, he had to sell his estate. The proceeds helped him move to the quiet outskirts of Amsterdam. He settled in the Jewish quarter.
The person closest to him during his old age was a son. But Rembrandt was not lucky, because he lived to see his death. He could not bear the blows of fate anymore and also died a year later.
Today's Rembrandt
Art never dies. Creators live in their works, in particular, artists are always part of their paintings. The essence of man is conveyed in his style and mastery of painting.
Today, Rembrandt van Rijn is considered an artist with a capital letter and is recognized by all critics. His work is highly appreciated. For example, in 2009, at the auction, his painting “Half-length portrait of an unknown man standing with his arms akimbo”, painted in 1658, was sold for a record price of 41 million US dollars (in terms of the exchange rate of that time).
Also appreciated is his painting “Portrait of an Elderly Woman,” which in 2000 was sold for about 32 million dollars. This canvas language does not even turn to be called a "picture". It just looks like a big photograph - only a great master could have detailed his face so much.
People like Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn are truly inspiring. And it is not necessary to become an artist, you just need to do what you like, and most importantly - from the heart.