The School of Rembrandt Biography
The School of Rembrandt, led by Harmensz van Rijn Rembrandt's (Leiden, 1606 - Amsterdam, 1669) in Amsterdam was one of the busiest art enterprises of the 17th century. As a talented and popular teacher with more than 50 documented students, Rembrandt created not only a name for himself but for his school as well. His name lives on through his own vast artistic oeuvre and through the works that his students created that greatly resemble his artistic style. From paintings to drawings to etchings, his students explored a variety of artistic mediums, creating works of great artistic merit.
Drawing, in particular, played a crucial role in Rembrandt's teaching methods. Rembrandt would create drawings for his students to imitate, and he and his pupils would sketch the same models and landscapes side by the side. As a result of these immersive training methods, Rembrandt's drawings and those of his students retain many stylistic similarities.
Works by the School of Rembrandt display traits that define Rembrandt's artistic style: the delicate handling of line, rendering of expressions and gestures, and description of light. Rembrandt's works display an active use of light and shadow on his figures creating a dramatic chiaroscuro effect while his subjects appear to come to life with their remarkably detailed and human expressions. His students learned such methods from him and expertly applied them to their own works.
Amongst some of Rembrandt's more notable students are Ferdinand Bol (1616 -1680), Gerrit Dou (1613-1675), Carel Fabritius (1622 - 1654), Govert Flinck (1615 - 1660), and Samuel van Hoogstraten (1627 - 1678).
~Derived from http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/rembrandt_drawings/
Browse The School of Rembrandt Catalogue Raisonnés Online.
