Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669)
Born to a family of millers in Leiden, Rembrandt left university at 14 to pursue a career as an artist. The decision turned out to be a good one since after serving his apprenticeship in Amsterdam he was singled out by Constantijn Huygens, the most influential patron in Holland.
In 1634 he married Saskia van Uylenburgh. In 1649, following Saskia's death from tuberculosis, Hendrickje Stoffels entered Rembrandt's household and six years later they had a son.
Rembrandt's success in his early years was as a portrait painter to the rich denizens of Amsterdam at a time when the city was being transformed from a small nondescript port into the economic capital of the world. His historical and religious paintings also gave him wide acclaim.
Despite being known as a portrait painter Rembrandt used his talent to push the boundaries of painting. This direction made him unpopular in the later years of his career as he shifted from being the talk of the town to becoming adrift in the Amsterdam art scene and criticised by his peers.
È stato il ritrattista più ricercato, pagato e amato della Amsterdam del XVII secolo. Ha ritratto mercanti e matrone, accettato commesse da gilde e autorità. Finché all'improvviso il suo successo svanisce. “Simon Schama e il potere dell’arte” spiega l’arte di questo grande maestro.
La nuova, ricca borghesia cittadina vuole affermare la propria opulenza e lasciare traccia del suo passaggio su questa terra con un ritratto. E si affida a Rembrandt van Rijn, il figlio di un mugnaio di Leida. La sua ascesa sembra inarrestabile. Ma, improvvisamente, il suo “La congiura di Claudio Civile”, l'opera destinata al nuovo municipio di Amsterdam, non piace. La fortuna lo abbandona; la star della pittura olandese del secolo d'oro finisce in miseria. Dell'opera non resterà che un ritaglio.
В картине "Ночной Дозор" и портретах богатейших купцов Амстердама, Рембрандт сделал невозможное - изобразил величие, драматизм и героизм в мире меркантильности. Несмотря на это, спустя 10 лет его работы оказываются не востребованы и не актуальны в изменчивом мире моды. Однако, когда ему выпадает шанс на возвращение - украсить залы Амстердамской Ратуши, он вместо классической сдержанности и требуемого великолепия, создает самый грубый, самый жесткий в истории и один из самых великих шедевров своего времени.
