Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669) was a renowned Dutch artist known for painting portraits and biblical subjects. He's ranked among some of the topmost European painters and is among the definitive artists of the Dutch Golden Age. Besides painting, Rembrandt was also a respected etcher. His works drew a lot of admiration because of their simplicity and depiction of familiar scenes, painting portraits of known people and biblical scenes. He was also respected for his creative use of light and shadow. Rembrandt finished his elementary school and proceeded to the Latin School in Leiden, where he studied the Bible. He later left the school to pursue training in art, starting with Jacob van Swanenburgh, who taught him the basics for 3 years before he proceeded to Pieter Lastman who trained him on more advanced techniques. After his training, he settled back in Leiden where he spent six years defining his career and next move.
Within a short period, Rembrandt’s paintings and etchings began to earn him some fame, especially due to his approach to the use of light and shadows, an ability that infused painterly feel to his etchings. From the late 1620s, Rembrandt started offering art lessons to different students. His classes became very famous as a result of his work and those of his students. Between 1631 and 1636, he did a lot of work in Amsterdam where he partnered with an Amsterdam-based artist known as Hendrick Uylenburgh. Rembrandt’s fame grew and he was often commissioned to create art by different people. During his final years, he started gravitating towards a new style. Many believed that he was doing so after noticing that his works somehow represented similar figures and forms. Rembrandt’s art remains in both private and public collections, with framed Rembrandt van Rijn art also available through numerous outlets.