FACT OF THE DAY

The Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn died today in 1669. Rembrandt was one artist who knew success in his own lifetime, and was frequently commissioned for portrait-painting by the great and good of 17th century Dutch society. However, his personal life was not so happy. Three of his children died in infancy and his wife succumbed to tuberculosis at the age of 29. But his work - which combines expert use of light with a keen perception of motion - would guarantee his reputation for centuries to come. You can find a range of visual arts reviews and features here