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Member: Rembrandt

CollectionsYour library (42)

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TagsKunst Caemer (Gallery) (41), portfolio (38) — see all tags

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About meRembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1606 - 1669)

I was born in Leiden (Holland), as son of a reasonably well to do miller, and shortly went to university there. However, I went on to become a painter and printmaker of considerable renown. After my apprenticeships I established my own studio in 1624 or 1625.

In 1631 I moved to Amsterdam and there I married Saskia van Uylenburg in 1634. She was quite a catch, being the daughter of a wealthy lawyer and burgomaster of Leeuwarden. We lived happily until 1642, when Saskia died shortly after the birth of our son Titus. In 1639 we had even moved to a fashionable made to measure house (now the Rembrandt House Museum).

After Saskia's death I ran into increasing financial problems, partly because of the high mortgage on that house - but, frankly, also because of my somewhat exorbitant collecting habits.

This ultimately resulted in my bankruptcy in 1656. On this occasion my possessions - amongst them my books - were listed for auction. This list has survived in the Amsterdam city archives, and has also been published - for example in translation in Rembrandt and the Italian Renaissance by Kenneth Clark.

This Legacy Library will be based on the list provided there, though it will ultimately also be checked against the original documents.

My last years were far more difficult. I worked as an employee for a company owned by my son and my second wife. I outlived my son, and died in Amsterdam in 1669.

Though I didn't write any books myself, I do have an author page here because people will list books containing my works as such.

About my libraryI mostly collected other things than books, and most of the books I did have were in fact portfolios of works by other artists I admired.

Real nameRembrandt Harmensz van Rijn

LocationAmsterdam, Netherlands

Favorite authorsNone

Account typepublic, lifetime

Connection NewsConnection News

URLs http://www.librarything.com/profile/Rembrandt (profile)
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/Rembrandt (library)

Member sinceMar 21, 2008