Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669)
Often considered to be one of the greatest artists of the Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt was a prolific painter, draftsman, and printmaker. While the subjects of his work included landscapes, historical and Biblical stories, and animals, Rembrandt is particularly well known for his portraits. Approximately one tenth of his entire body of work consists of self-portraits created at many different points in his life, though he painted progressively fewer portraits later in his career. Rembrandt made use of dramatic lighting, costumes, settings, and props within his portraits to tell a complete story about their subjects, infusing the portraits with personality and humanity, and inspiring many future artists to borrow elements of his style.
