Rembrandt House

Home to Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn and his wife Saskia from 1639 to 1658, this is where the master painted some of his most famous works, including “The Night Watch�. Originally the ground floor provided living accommodation, the first floor was his studio and his pupils used the attic. This museum provides an insight into the life and times of the famous painter.
The house is in the heart of the old Jewish quarter (Jodenbuurt), which gave Rembrandt the opportunity to use his neighbours as models, most notably when executing biblical themes.
Renovated in the early years of the twentieth century and opened as the Rembrandt Museum in 1911, the building houses 260 of his 290 etchings as well as works by other Dutch contemporaries.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, (pronounced Rembrant Harmens-zoon van Rijin), (July 15, 1606 – October 4, 1669) is generally considered one of the greatest painters in Western art history, and the most important Dutch painter of the 17th century. Rembrandt was also a proficient engraver and made many drawings. His contributions to art came in a period that historians call the Dutch Golden Age (roughly equivalent to the 17th century), in which Dutch culture, science, commerce, world power and political influence reached their pinnacles.
In all, Rembrandt produced around 600 paintings, 300 etchings and 2000 drawings. He was a prolific painter of self-portraits, producing almost a hundred of them (including some 20 etchings) throughout his long career. Together they give us a remarkably clear picture of the man, his looks, and—more importantly—his emotions, as misfortune and sorrow etched wrinkles in his face.
Among the prominent characteristics of his work are his command of light and dark, often using stark contrasts, thus drawing the viewer into the painting; his dramatic and lively scenes, devoid of any rigid formality that contemporary artists often displayed; and his ostensibly deep-felt compassion for mankind, irrespective of wealth and age.
His immediate family—his first wife Saskia, his son Titus, and his second wife Hendrickje—often figured prominently in his paintings, many of which had mythical, biblical, or historical themes.