Although Rembrandt was born from not a wealthy family, his parents ensured that he gets proper education. He was first enrolled in a Latin School and was later enrolled to study in the University of Leiden at the mere age of 14. When he realized that the program in the university does not take his interest, he quite school and went to study arts by apprenticing from a local art master named Jacob van Swanenburch. After Swanenburch, he apprenticed himself with a famous historical painter in Amsterdam named Pieter Lastman. It only took 6 month for Rembrandt to master what he was taught by his masters, and after which he decided to return to Leiden. He was just 22 years old during the time he return to Leiden after his apprenticeship and was greatly recognized for his accomplishment at such as young age. He then began accepting his own pupils, to which one of them was the well-known Gerrit Dou.
In 1631, Rembrandt moved in Amsterdam. Three years later, he married Saskia van Uylenburgh, a cousin of a well recognized art dealer. This marriage did a great help promoting Rembrandt’s art works which eventually had him taken by wealthy people to do portraits. After earning a profile of being a well-renown teacher, Rembrandt’s art studio received many students. Some of which are already trained artist.
Despite his great success in the field as a painter and teacher, Rembrandt experienced a lot of melancholy in life. His wife, Saskia died at an early age of 30 in the year 1642 leaving Rembrandt four children. He had involved himself with Hendrickje Stoffels, a housekeeper which later on also became his legal wife and likewise a model to most of his works. Although Rembrandt made a lot of money from his art works, being a well-recognized teacher, and art dealer, he turned into bankruptcy in year 1656 due to his egotistic way of living. This instance forced him to sell his art collections and as well as his antiquities in order to pay for his debts. Though in the end, the results of the auction of his art works were quite disappointing.
Rather than resulting depression to Rembrandt, his misfortunes turned into inspirations of some of his great paintings which includes the 1665 – “The Jewish Bride”, the 1661 – “The Syndics of the Cloth Guild”, the 1654 – “Bathsheba”, and “Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph” in the year 1656.
His melancholy in life continued as his second wife Hendrickje died in year 1663, afterwards his son Titus of age 27 in 1668. After 11 months of grief and sadness, Rembrandt died ob the 4th of October year 1669 in Amsterdam.
Though his life was filled with misfortunes and mostly loss of loved-ones, Rembrandt’s works were up until now serves as an inspiration all over Europe, most especially in the Dutch Republic or now known as Netherlands.
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