1606
When and where was Rembrandt born?
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden, in the Republic of the United Provinces - present-day Netherlands. His family lived in the Weddesteeg, near the Rhine and his father's mill.
Check the dateSee the placeA safe date, with an archive nuance
Leiden, Holland
This date is that retained by the Rijksmuseum, the Museum De Lakenhal, the Museum Rembrandthuis and the main modern biographies. It corresponds to the testimony printed by the Leiden historian Jan Jansz. Orlers in 1641.
The nuance: no baptismal record of Rembrandt has been found. The date is therefore based on an ancient source close to his life, and not on a birth certificate now preserved.
July 15, 1606, given by Orlers in 1641 and taken up by the reference institutions.
A house on the Weddesteeg, near Galgewater, west of central Leiden.
The United Provinces in the 17th century; today, the Netherlands.
Jan Orlers, 1641: the first biography
Mayor and historian Jan Jansz. Orlers publishes a description of Leiden containing a short life of Rembrandt. The artist was then alive and already famous in Amsterdam.
Orlers places his birth in Leiden on July 15, 1606, then recounts the Latin school, the learning and the progress of the young painter.
Why this source matters
It appears thirty-five years after the birth of Rembrandt and is part of a history of the city. It is not a civil register, but it remains the most precise ancient testimony to its beginnings.
The Museum Rembrandthuis explicitly recalls the absence of a baptismal register: historians generally accept Orlers' date, while pointing out this documentary gap.
See the presentation from the University of LeidenThe Weddesteeg, between house and mill
The street still exists, but Rembrandt's father's birthplace and mill have disappeared. A commemorative space and contemporary works mark the area today.
What we see today
The urban fabric has changed. The photograph documents the place commemorated, not a family home that has remained intact since 1606.
Landmarks of the Museum De LakenhalThe alley where the family home was located, near the ramparts and the Galgewater.
Rembrandt's father, Harmen Gerritsz., was a miller. The family mill stood nearby.
The family name refers to the Rhine and the environment of the mill, without meaning that Rembrandt was born in the German town of the same name.
Rembrandt was not born there: he settled there as a young painter in the early 1630s.
Born into a family of wealthy artisans
Rembrandt is neither the son of a painter nor the child of the aristocracy. His family belongs to a professional bourgeoisie sufficiently established to offer him an advanced education.
Harmen Gerritsz.
His father operates a malt mill. This work is part of Leiden's brewing economy.
Neeltgen Willemsdr.
His mother, Neeltgen van Zuytbrouck, belongs to a Catholic family. The household therefore brings together different confessional heritages.
Ten children
The Rijksmuseum presents Rembrandt as the penultimate of ten children, many of whom do not reach adulthood.
An academic ambition
His parents sent him to Latin school then enrolled him at the University of Leiden: a journey that went beyond simple family learning.
A city marked by war, textiles and knowledge
Rembrandt was born in a town of around 24,000 inhabitants, which had become a major center of the young Dutch Republic.
Latin school before workshop
Lokhorststraat
The Latin school building, rebuilt in 1599, remains. Rembrandt is said to have studied there from approximately 1613 to 1620, notably Latin grammar.
Latin school entry
This course normally prepares middle and upper middle boys for college or a scholarly career.
University Registration
Rembrandt is on the University of Leiden records, but there is no indication that he actually completed a full university course.
Jacob van Swanenburg's
His parents accepted his vocation and placed him in the studio of the Leydois painter.
Visit to Pieter Lastman
In Amsterdam, he learned from a master of history painting, then returned to open his studio in Leiden.
From 1606 to 1631: twenty-five years in Leiden
Birth
July 15, in a house in Weddesteeg, within the Van Rijn family.
Latin school
Rembrandt receives more ambitious classical training than that of a future ordinary craftsman.
Leiden University
Official registration, probably also useful for privileges granted to students.
Two learnings
Jacob van Swanenburg in Leiden, then Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam.
First workshop
The young artist works at Kort Galgewater and collaborates closely with Jan Lievens.
First student
Gerrit Dou enters his workshop, a sign that Rembrandt already has a local reputation.
Departure to Amsterdam
Hendrick Uylenburgh's portrait market and relationships open a new stage.
What the young Rembrandt still invents in Leiden
A few years separate the child from the Weddesteeg from a painter capable of constructing his own image and running a studio.
The Glasses Merchant
Around 1624, one of the first known paintings. The subject belongs to a series of the five senses and already reveals the taste of chiaroscuro.
See at the Museum De Lakenhal
History painting, 1626
Rembrandt slips into a scene whose subject remains debated. He already affirms his presence at the heart of the narration.
The face as a laboratory
Youth self-portraits study shadow, hair, mouth and expressions without yet seeking social solemnity.
See reproduction
Four stages in Leiden
- Weddesteeg and Rembrandtplaats to locate the place of birth.
- Latin school, Lokhorststraat to understand your first training.
- Kort Galgewater to find the area of his first workshop.
- Museum De Lakenhal to see his early works and those of Leydois painters.
The birthplace and the mill cannot be visited: they no longer exist. We must therefore read the district as a historical landscape rather than as a preserved house museum.
Route Rembrandt to LeidenFrom the young face to the master of Amsterdam
Three works to measure the progress made since Leiden.
Self-portrait with disheveled hair
The young painter experiences very low light and an almost fleeting presence.
See table →Self-portrait at 34
In 1640, the painter based in Amsterdam claimed the rank of great masters.
See table →Self-portrait with two circles
At the end of his life, he still represented himself as an artist at work.
See table →All Rembrandts
Portraits, landscapes, biblical scenes and self-portraits available in the collection.
Explore the collection →The birth of Rembrandt in ten answers
When was Rembrandt born?
July 15, 1606, date indicated by Jan Orlers in 1641 and retained by the main museums.
Where was Rembrandt born?
In Leiden, in a house on the Weddesteeg, near Galgewater and his father's mill.
Was Rembrandt born in Amsterdam?
No. He was born, grew up, studied and began his career in Leiden. He moved to Amsterdam in the early 1630s.
Is there a birth certificate?
No known baptismal certificate has been preserved. The date is mainly based on the biography of Orlers, published during the artist's lifetime.
Does his birthplace still exist?
No. The Weddesteeg still exists, but the family home and the mill have disappeared.
Who were his parents?
Harmen Gerritsz. van Rijn, miller, and Neeltgen Willemsdr. van Zuytbrouck.
How many brothers and sisters did he have?
The Rijksmuseum presents him as the penultimate of ten children, some of whom died very young.
Why is it called "van Rijn"?
The family name refers to the Rhine and the family mill located near the river.
What was his nationality?
He was born in the Republic of the United Provinces. He is described today as a Dutch painter.
How old was he when he died?
Born July 15, 1606 and died October 4, 1669, Rembrandt was 63 years old.
Documentary benchmarks
The dates and places are compared with museum notices and the presentation of Orlers' text.
From birth to career
Explore the family, Leiden and the major stages of Rembrandt's life.
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