The Great Artists

Historian Tim Marlow explores the life and work of 17th-century visionary Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, who was famed for his skilful handling of light and shade in paintings portraying the human form. Born in Leiden in 1606, the eighth of nine children, his passion for art led him to an apprenticeship with a local painter, and from the time he was a 19-year-old he had a studio in Amsterdam, where he produced 75 self-portraits. Demand for his talents soon grew and success came when he was commissioned to paint The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Tulp.