Arguably the greatest artist from the Netherlands was born in Leiden, around 1606. Raises in a family of millers, at the age of 14 Rembrandt left university to pursue the life of an artist. In Amsterdam he gained the support of Constantijn Huygens, who was the most influential patron during that period.
The success of Rembrandt grew parallel to the rise of the Dutch Republic. As a portrait painter, Rembrandt used his talent to depict the growing amount of rich citizens in Amsterdam. He used his talent to push the boundaries of painting, which led to a demise of his career as he was criticized by his peers.