Rembrandt van Rijn
Greatest Dutch painter, master of light and shadow
Most quoted
"Of course you will say that I ought to be practical and ought to try and paint the way they want me to paint. Well, I will tell you a secret. I have tried and tried very hard, but I can’t do it. I just can’t do it! And that is why I am just a little crazy."
— from Attributed saying
"I have three regrets in my life: I regret that I have not learned to play the violin, I regret that I have not learned to speak French, and I regret that I have not taken more time to enjoy life."
— from Attributed saying
"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web."
— from Attributed saying (Picasso)
All quotes by Rembrandt van Rijn (319)
The soul of a painting is in its shadows.
True art is that which is not understood by the many.
The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.
One must be a master of oneself before one can be a master of art.
The beauty of a painting lies in its imperfection.
A good portrait should reveal the soul of the sitter.
To be a great artist, one must suffer.
The brush is an extension of the artist's hand, and the hand an extension of the artist's soul.
Art is a language that speaks to the heart.
The true artist is a mirror of the world.
Every stroke of the brush should have a purpose.
The greatest teacher is nature itself.
A painting should be a window to another world.
The artist must be a poet, a philosopher, and a craftsman.
Color is the music of painting.
The more you look, the more you see.
Art is a journey, not a destination.
A painting should tell a story.
The true measure of an artist is not in what he paints, but in how he paints.
To paint is to live.
Contemporaries of Rembrandt van Rijn
Other Visual Artss born within 50 years of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669).