REMBRANDT HOUSE MUSEUM

Description

Essentials about the Rembrandt House Museum in brief

Next to Vincent van Gogh, he is the most famous Dutch painter – Rembrandt van Rijn. Anyone interested in the work of the 17th century Dutch master should definitely have seen the Rembrandt House Museum. It displays etchings of Rembrandt, paintings of his contemporaries and a reconstruction of the house interior during Rembrandt’s lifetime.

The history of the Rembrandt House Museum

The museum is housed in Rembrandt van Rijn’s former residence, which he bought in 1639 and lived in until his bankruptcy in 1658. After an auction of Rembrandt’s entire belongings, the house was divided into two parts and occupied by different parties until the beginning of the 20th century. Due to the poor condition of the house and its famous former inhabitant, in 1906 the city of Amsterdam bought the Rembrandt House and gave it to a foundation. After the completion of a renovation, in 1911 the Rembrandt Museum was able to open its doors to the public with a collection of prints.

The collection of the Rembrandt House Museum

The collection of etchings grew in the early years of the museum as a result of donations and the museum’s own acquisitions. In the 1990s, the museum was expanded with a new building that provides space for two exhibition galleries and the library with the “Rembrandt Information Center”. Also in the 1990s, Rembrandt’s living quarters were reconstructed according to historical plans. Based on the inventory list for the auction, it was possible to reconstruct all the furnishings of the time in detail.

Today, the collection of Rembrandt House Museum comprises 260 of Rembrandt’s 290 etchings, providing an almost complete overview of Rembrandt’s work in this artistic genre. In addition, it also owns some of the printing plates. In addition to Rembrandt’s etchings, the museum has a collection of paintings by artists who mostly worked in Amsterdam before Rembrandt moved there in 1631 and who served as models for him. On top of that, some works by Rembrandt’s students are also on display.