Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669) was a
Dutch painter and
etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and
printmakers in
European art and the most important in
Dutch history. His contributions to art came in a period of great wealth and cultural achievement that historians call the
Dutch Golden Age when
Dutch Golden Age painting, although in many ways antithetical to the
Baroque style that dominated Europe, was extremely prolific and innovative, and gave rise to important new genres in painting.