Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669) was a Dutch painter, draughtsman and etcher, widely regarded as the greatest artist of the Dutch Golden Age. Born in Leiden, he settled in Amsterdam, where he became the city's most fashionable portraitist before his fortunes declined in later life. His work is celebrated for its dramatic handling of light and shadow, its psychological depth and its unflinching series of self-portraits.
Among his best-known paintings are The Night Watch and The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp, alongside many biblical scenes and penetrating portraits. Rembrandt was also a supremely inventive etcher, and his prints, which he reworked through several states, are where most collectors encounter his hand. Lifetime impressions are rare and costly, while later impressions from reworked plates and nineteenth-century restrikes are more common, so paper, watermark, state and quality of impression must be studied carefully. His enormous influence produced a large body of work by pupils and followers, and attributions are continually debated by scholars. For the decorative market, prints after Rembrandt and copies of his portraits in period frames remain a popular way of bringing his brooding manner into panelled rooms and libraries.
