Master of Light! Rembrandt's stunning art paintings

Considered the greatest painter in all of European Art, Rembrandt van Rijn was a Dutch painter and etcher of the Dutch Golden Age. As a child, he had an inclination towards painting, and spent three years under the apprenticeship of a local history painter. After another six month apprenticeship with painter Jan Pieter Lastman, he opened his own studio. He began taking art students at his studio at the ripe old age of twenty-one years old.

In 1631, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam, which at the time was rapidly expanding, and had great success painting personal portraits. In 1634 he married his wife, Saskia van Uylenberg, and in the same year began taking art students in Amsterdam. Although his public life was on track, his private life was deteriorating. His wife Saskia had their first child, a boy, in 1635, but he died at two months of age. Their second child, a girl, died at three weeks of age. Their third child,

1.Artemisia

The painting currently in the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain is open to interpretation. Some believe that Artemis, Queen of Pergamon, is shown drinking from a glass containing the ashes of her deceased husband, Mothoras. Another theory is that Sofonisba is preparing to drink poison sent by her husband, to avoid being a victim of Scipio the Great's lust. However, according to the latest research by the museum, the theme of the painting is set as "Judith at the Banquet of Holofernes". The main evidence for this is that the original composition of the painting has been altered through X-ray research, and some key objects in the background have been painted Overlay. The original composition may have been difficult for viewers to understand what Rembrandt wanted to express, so the background was re-modified. This is done by hidden objects in the background, which align with the description of this event in the biography of Judith.

2.The Storm on the Sea of Galilee

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee is the only seascape ever painted by Rembrandt. It depicts Jesus calming the waves of the sea, saving the lives of the fourteen men aboard the vessel. Of these fourteen men, it is said Rembrandt included a self portrait of himself in the boat, next to Jesus and his twelve disciples.On March 18, 1990, the painting was stolen by thieves disguised as police officers. They broke into the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, and stole this painting, along with twelve other works. The paintings have never been recovered, and it is considered the biggest art theft in history.The empty frames of the paintings still hang in their original location, waiting to be recovered.

3.Flora

Rembrandt painted his wife Saskia van Uylenburgh as Flora, goddess of spring and flowers, three times: in 1634,1635 and 1641. In this work he combined elements of pastoral and historical portraits. Created in the year of their marriage, this painting shows the love and admiration the artist felt for the young woman. The contrast between the young sitter's diffident pose and the sumptuousness of her richly embroidered clothes and accessories gives the image a special charm.

4.Belshazzar's Feast

Rembrandt's painting depicts the moment when the hand of God appears and writes the words "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin" on the wall. The painting is a large-scale work measuring over two metres in width. The use of light and shadow creates a sense of drama and foreboding. The figures in the painting are shown in a state of shock and confusion.Belshazzar's Feast is a painting by Rembrandt that can be found in the National Gallery in London. The painting is a large-scale work that depicts the moment when the hand of God appears and writes the words "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin" on the wall, as told in the Old Testament Book of Daniel. The painting is full of drama and foreboding, with the figures in the painting shown in a state of shock and confusion.

5.Philosopher in Meditation

Philosopher in Meditation (Bredius 431) is the traditional title of an oil painting in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, that has long been attributed to the 17th-century Dutch artist Rembrandt.It is signed "RHL-van Rijn" and dated 1632, at the time of Rembrandt's move from Leiden to Amsterdam. Recent scholarship suggests that the painting depicts "Tobit and Anna waiting for their son Tobias" instead. This interpretation appears in the first known source, an auction catalogue from 1738 (see "Subject matter").The painting appeared in Paris around the middle of the 18th century and made the rounds of aristocratic collections before being acquired for the royal collections housed in the Louvre Palace. The presumed subject matter, the finely graded chiaroscuro treatment and intricate composition were widely appreciated in France and the painting is mentioned in the writings of many 19th- and 20th-century literary figures, including George Sand, Théophile Gautier, Jules Michelet, Marcel Proust, Paul Valéry, Gaston Bachelard, Paul Claudel, and Aldous Huxley.

6.Danae

This painting by Rembrandt depicts the mythical character of Danae, who is welcoming Zeus into her bed. She later bore his son, Perseus. Rembrandt originally used his first wife, Saskia, as the model in the painting, but later replaced her face with the face of his mistress Geertje Dircx. In 1985, a man threw acid on the painting as it hung on display at the Hermitage Museum. He also cut the canvas twice with a knife. The most badly damaged parts of the painting were to the face and hair of Danae, her right arm, and her legs. The entire middle section of the painting was also dripping with a conglomeration of paint spots. Restoration of the painting began the same day, and was finished twelve years later. The man who threw the acid was later declared insane.

7.The Rape of Europe

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn's The Abduction of Europa (1632) is one of his rare mythological subject paintings. The piece is oil on canvas and now located in the J. Paul Getty Museum. The inspiration for the painting is Ovid's Metamorphoses, part of which tells the tale of Zeus's seduction and capture of Europa. The painting shows a coastal scene with Europa being carried away in rough waters by a bull while her friends remain on shore with expressions of horror. Rembrandt combined his knowledge of classical literature with the interests of the patron in order to create this allegorical work. The use of an ancient myth to impart a contemporary thought and his portrayal of the scene using the High Baroque style are two strong aspects of the work.