Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Episode One of the ‘Great Artists’ series explores the life and work of the greatest northern European artist of his age and one of the greatest artists of all time. His name was Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, known to the world simply as Rembrandt. Born the son of a prosperous miller in 1606, Rembrandt was the first truly ‘modern’ artist, a genius who virtually re-invented the media of portrait, etching and ink and wash drawing through complete technical mastery and an unerring sense of drama. His masterpiece was ‘The Night Watch’, painted in 1642, after which year his personal finances declined to such an extent that he died a pauper in 1669.
Episode One of the ‘Great Artists’ series explores the life and work of the greatest northern European artist of his age and one of the greatest artists of all time. His name was Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, known to the world simply as Rembrandt. Born the son of a prosperous miller in 1606, Rembrandt was the first truly ‘modern’ artist, a genius who virtually re-invented the media of portrait, etching and ink and wash drawing through complete technical mastery and an unerring sense of drama. His masterpiece was ‘The Night Watch’, painted in 1642, after which year his personal finances declined to such an extent that he died a pauper in 1669.
