Rembrandt’s father was a successful miller. His surname, van Rijn, suggests that his family had been established for generations in the same region near the Rhine River. In fact, the family’s mill, which was on the Velst, a branch of the Rhine, was called the Rhine Mill.

Rembrandt’s mother was Neeltgen (also called Cornelia) Willemsdochter van Zuytbrouck. She was the daughter of a prosperous baker. The family was close as ws the norm of the day. Rembrandt's grandfather on his mother's side was also the godfather of Rembrandt’s brother, Willem.

Rembrandt’s decision to become an artist, or perhaps the decision of his parents to establish him in such a risky profession, was not made early. His parents felt that Rembrandt was the most promising of their c

Rembrandt was unable to ever recover his fortune, and through the years his family and friends assisted him in several manipulations to protect his most prized possessions, and even Rembrandt himself, from his creditors. In the year 1658, when Titus was seventeen, Titus and Hendrickje began an independent art dealing business, and in the year 1660 they actually employed Rembrandt to protect him from the threats of the many creditors who were still awaiting payment of his debts. Then in 1663 disaster again struck Rembrandt. Titus died, and Rembrandt was engulfed with agony and heartbreak.

Peter Lastman was, at the time, probably the most learned and famous artist in Holland, rivalled only by Cornelisz van Haarlem. Lastman, like Jacob van Swanenburgh, had studied in Italy. However, unlike, van Swanenburgh, Lastman benefited from his Italian studies.

While in her early twenties, Hendrickje bore to Rembrandt two illegitimate children. Hendrickje was summoned before the church council and was severely punished for fornication with Rembrandt. She was excluded from the Lord’s supper. The first child died in infancy. Rembrandt named the second, a daughter, Cornelia in memory of his two daughters by Saskia who had not survived. This child survived both Rembrandt and Hendrickje. Hendrickje was always devoted to Rembrandt and remained with him until her death at age 37 in 1663.

Further, Adam Elsheimer, a German painter who lived in Rome, influenced Lastman. Like Lastman, Caravaggio had impacted Elsheimer. However, not in keeping with the paintings of Caravaggio, Elsheimer made small, highly detailed paintings, most of which were landscapes. Elsheimer was a master at creating exquisite daylight and nocturnal effects.

Burden was heavy on Rembrandt as he counted his last days. He had endured so much, witnessing the death of Saskia, their three children, Hendrickje and Titus. Only his granddaughter, born posthumously seven months after the death of Titus, and his illegitimate daughter Cornelia who had moved to Java remained. Cornelia bore two children who she appropriately named Rembrandt and Hendrickje.

Because he was travelling to Amsterdam so regularly and because his business was flourishing there, in 1631 Rembrandt again made this city his home. The commissions flowed to his door, and he found it almost impossible to meet the demand. As a consequence, he began to be more involved in management of his studio than in artistry. Rembrandt was so busy he lost the time to experiment. His art did not exhibit great variety and became rather predicable. Still, his greatness was being readily appreciated, and his popularity was impressively increasing. However, this focus on business rather than art was to hurt him later years as he became regarded as old fashioned.

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