Rembrandt Rembrandt was one of the greatest artists of Dutch ancestry. He was a master of light and shadow whose paintings, drawings, and etchings made him a legendary figure in art history. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born on July 15, 1606, in Leiden, the Netherlands. His father was a miller but unlike his father, Rembrandt left the University of Leiden to study painting. His first pieces were of the people he saw around him. He was influenced by the work of Caravaggio and was fascinated by the work of many other artists. When Rembrandt became an established painter, he began to teach and continued teac