Rembrandt

The sixteen hundreds, especially the mid-sixteen hundreds, cannot be talked about without mention of Rembrandt Harmenszoo van Rijn. More commonly referred to as simply, Rembrandt,  the Leiden born artist was the eighth of nine children, finished his very prestigious schooling (the only boy in his family to be sent to school, in fact) he started a period of apprenticeship from 1622 to 1624 under the painter Jacob Isaacszoo van Swanenburgh of Italy. Although this apprenticeship was invaluable to Rembrandt, he found himself ever more grateful for his simple half a semester study under Pieter Lastman, the artist from Amsterdam. 1650 was a year nearing the end of the Renaissance, and Rembrandt's later paintings illustrated his ending the Renaissance era. Rembrandt married, and the two had four children, the boy Titus, was the only of them to survive past childhood, and is recognized in the famous paintings, Titus at his Desk, in 1655 and Titus in 1658. As his children died, Rembrandt also tragically became a widow. He soon had sent into his household two women, to help his generally depressed demeanor, raise his spirits, and give a hand with the children. The second of these women, became his common-law wife. Her name was Hendrickje Stoffels, and she rose to public attention in Rembrandt's, Portrait of Hendrickje Stoffels circa 1650.


as well as through this portrait also of the same year

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One more of Rembrandt's pieces, imperative to this time period, is entitled, The Descent from the Cross painted in 1650 and this really embodies a very popular theme in the 1600's. There were many paintings done of Christs Crucifixion, the hill he was crucified on, the on lookers, and his descent from the cross, was one of Rembrandt's more famous pieces of 1650.


and, The blinding of Samson which is not so much about Christ, as Samson, but is still of the historical, biblical aspect.