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)
I would rather be a poor man and have a rich mind, than a rich man and have a poor mind.
Painting is the grandchild of nature. It is related to God.
The greatest artist is the one who has the greatest power to move the heart.
Do not think that you can make a good painting by following rules. You must have a feeling for it.
A good painting is like a good joke. If you have to explain it, it's not that good.
They say I paint too many old people. But who else has such interesting faces?
My models are not always beautiful, but they are always real.
I prefer to paint the soul rather than the dress.
If I have to choose between a beautiful woman and a beautiful light, I choose the light.
The public is a strange beast. It wants what it doesn't know it wants.
I am not afraid of poverty, only of mediocrity.
To be a great painter, one must be a great observer.
Light is the most important element in painting. It can make a masterpiece or a disaster.
I do not paint for the eyes, but for the soul.
My studio is my kingdom, and I am its king.
They say I am a master of shadows. Perhaps because I know them so well.
A true artist does not follow trends, he creates them.
I paint with my heart, not just my hands.
The best way to learn is to do. The best way to teach is to inspire.
My paintings are my children. I love them all, even the difficult ones.
Contemporaries of Rembrandt van Rijn
Other Visual Artss born within 50 years of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669).