Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669). Dutch painter, draftsman, and etcher of the 17th century, a colossus in the history of art. His
father was a miller who wanted the boy to follow a learned profession, but Rembrandt left the
University of Leiden to study painting. He became the greatest exponent of the Dutch school, a master of light and shadow whose paintings, drawings, and etchings earned him the reputation as one of the greatest artists who have ever lived.