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Rembrandt (Harmensz. van Rijn) (1606 - 1669)
Dutch painter, draughtsman and engraver, born in 1606 in Leyden, the son of a miller. He was apprenticed to Jacob van Swanenburgh in Leyden, c.1622/24, and subsequently for six months to Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam. From c.1625 he was an independent painter in Leyden, sharing a workshop with Jan Lievens. In 1631/32 he moved to Amsterdam, where he spent the rest of his family life. Initially he was a very successful portrait painter, much in demand in the patrician classes of Amsterdam. In 1639 he purchased a hous in the Breestraat. With his declining popularity from the 1640s onward, his financial difficulties began. These led in 1655/56 to his bankruptcy and to the sale of his house and extensive collection of works of art and curios. He died almost forgotten and in poverty in Amsterdam in 1669. |
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