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 artist's greatest tool is his imagination.
A painting should be a reflection of the artist's soul.
The secret of art is to hide art.
One must paint with the heart, not just the hand.
The greatest art is that which inspires.
A painting is a silent poem.
The artist's life is a constant struggle for perfection.
To truly see, one must look with the heart.
I am a painter, not a poet.
Do not seek to be understood, but to understand.
The greatest artist is he who can best express his feelings.
Choose a good master, and then follow him with all your heart.
I am not afraid of anything, except to be forgotten.
The more I paint, the more I realize how much I don't know.
One must be a master of light and shadow.
I paint what I see, not what others want to see.
The eye is the mirror of the soul.
A good painting is like a good wine; it improves with age.
I never painted a picture that I did not love.
The true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.
Contemporaries of Rembrandt van Rijn
Other Visual Artss born within 50 years of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669).