Rembrandt by Kurt Pfister

(8 User reviews)   4579
By John White Posted on Jan 3, 2026
In Category - Flight Science
Pfister, Kurt, 1895-1951 Pfister, Kurt, 1895-1951
German
Hey, I just finished this biography about Rembrandt that completely changed how I see his famous paintings. It’s not just a dry list of dates and works. The book has this central, heartbreaking question at its core: how did the most celebrated and wealthy painter in Amsterdam end up dying nearly broke and forgotten? It follows the dramatic arc of his life—from skyrocketing fame to heartbreaking personal losses and financial ruin—and makes you look at his later self-portraits in a whole new, deeply human light. It reads almost like a novel about the price of genius.
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unverändert; fremdsprachliche Ausdrücke wurden nicht korrigiert. Schreibvarianten, insbesondere bei Orts- und Personennamen, wurden nicht vereinheitlicht. Besondere Schriftschnitte werden im vorliegenden Text mit Hilfe der folgenden Symbole gekennzeichnet: kursiv: _Unterstriche_ gesperrt: +Pluszeichen+ #################################################################### KURT PFISTER/REMBRANDT [Illustration: Phot. F. Hanfstaengl, München Selbstbildnis 1669] REMBRANDT VON KURT PFISTER MIT 50 ABBILDUNGEN [Illustration] DELPHIN-VERLAG/MÜNCHEN Copyright 1919 by Delphin-Verlag, Dr. Richard Landauer, München Gedruckt von Emil Herrmann senior in Leipzig ABBILDUNGSVERZEICHNIS Abb. 1 Selbstbildnis 1669 (Grittleton House) B. 507. Titelbild „ 2 Die Judenbraut 1668 (Amsterdam, Reichsmuseum) B. 538. gegenüber S. 6 „ 3 Anatomie des Professor Tulp 1632 (Haag, Museum) B. 55. „ „ 7 „ 4 Die Staalmeesters 1661-1662 (Amsterdam, Reichsmuseum) B. 486. „ „ 16 „ 5 Saskia als Braut 1633 (Berliner Kupferstichkabinett) H. d. G. 99. „ „ 16 „ 6 Selbstbildnis Rembrandts mit seiner Gattin Saskia 1634 (Dresden, Gemäldegalerie) B. 157. „ „ 17 „ 7 Danae 1636 (St. Petersburg, Eremitage) B. 194. „ „ 17 „ 8 Saskia mit der roten Blume 1641 (Dresden, Gemäldegalerie) B. 264. „ „ 18 „ 9 Bildnis der Hendrickje Stoffels 1652 (Paris, Louvre) B. 350. „ „ 19 „ 10 Hendrickje Stoffels im Bett 1657 (Edinburg, Nationalgalerie) B. 43. „ „ 20 „ 11 Bildnis der Hendrickje Stoffels 1658-1659 (Berlin Kaiser Friedrich Museum) B. 437. „ „ 20 „ 12 Bildnis des Jan Six 1654 (Amsterdam, Galerie Six) B. 371. „ „ 21 „ 13 Rembrandts Bruder Adriaen 1650 (Haag, Museum) B. 355. „ „ 21 „ 14 Rembrandts Sohn Titus 1656 (Wien, Museum) B. 443. „ „ 22 „ 15 Familienbild 1668-1669 (Braunschweig, Museum) B. 539. „ „ 23 „ 16 Selbstbildnis 1634 (Berlin, Kaiser Friedrich Museum) B. 167. „ „ 24 „ 17 Selbstbildnis 1640 (London, Nationalgalerie) B. 256. „ „ 24 „ 18 Rembrandt zeichnend 1645. B. 22. „ „ 25 „ 19 Selbstbildnis 1660 (Paris, Louvre) B. 434. „ „ 26 „ 20 Selbstbildnis 1668 (Berlin, Frau v. Carstanjen) B. 506. „ „ 27 „ 21 Die Landschaft mit den Kühen zwischen 1635-1640 (Berliner Kupferstichkabinett) H. d. G. 164. „ „ 28 „ 22 Kanal mit Boot 1650 (Berliner Kupferstichkabinett) H. d. G. 180. „ „ 28 „ 23 Die Windmühle 1641. B. 233. „ „ 28 „ 24 Die Landschaft mit dem Turm 1648 B. 223. „ „ 29 „ 25 Die Landschaft mit dem Milchmann 1650 B. 213. „ „ 29 „ 26 Landschaft 1638 (Braunschweig, Museum) B. 231. „ „ 30 „ 27 Winterlandschaft 1646 (Kassel, Galerie) B. 341. „ „ 31 „ 28 Ein geschlachteter Ochse 1655 (Paris, Louvre) B. 421. „ „ 32 „ 29 Die Mühle 1650 (Bowood, Landsdowne) B. 345. „ „ 33 „ 30 David im Gebet 1652 B. 41. „ „ 36 „ 31 Der heilige Hieronymus im Gebet 1632 B. 101. „ „ 36 „ 32 Die heilige Familie (Frühzeit) B. 62. „ „ 36 „ 33 Der barmherzige Samariter 1648 (Paris, Louvre) B. 328. „ „ 37 „ 34 Christus in Emaus 1661 (Paris, Louvre) B. 519. „ „ 37 „ 35 Die heilige Familie im Zimmer 1654. B. 63. „ „ 40 „ 36 Die Kreuztragung (Frühzeit) H. d. G. 71. „ „ 40 „ 37 Christus treibt die Händler aus dem Tempel 1635 B. 69. „ „ 41 „ 38 Die heilige Familie 1646 (Kassel, Galerie) B. 252. „ „ 41 „ 39 Die Flucht nach Ägypten 1654 B. 55. „ „ 44 „ 40 Die Kreuzabnahme bei Fackelschein 1654 B. 83. „ „ 44 „ 41 Moses zerschmettert die Gesetzestafeln 1659 (Berlin, Kaiser Friedrich Museum) B. 409. „ „ 45 „ 42 Jakob ringt mit...

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Kurt Pfister's Rembrandt is a biography that feels alive. It doesn't just tell you what happened; it walks you through the streets of 17th-century Amsterdam and into the artist's crowded studio.

The Story

The book charts Rembrandt's incredible journey. We meet him as a confident young genius from Leiden, conquering Amsterdam with masterpieces like The Night Watch. He lives large, collects exotic artifacts, and is the talk of the town. Then, tragedy strikes. His beloved wife Saskia dies, his finances spiral out of control, and public taste shifts away from his raw, emotional style. The story becomes a gripping portrait of an artist clinging to his vision while the world slowly turns away, leading to his quiet death in poverty.

Why You Should Read It

What makes this book special is how it connects the man to the art. After reading about his bankruptcies and grief, you'll look at his later self-portraits—those honest, weary, unflattering faces—and feel like you're seeing a friend. Pfister shows us that Rembrandt's true masterpieces weren't just about technique, but about capturing deep, universal human experience, something he understood all too well by the end of his life.

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone who's ever stood in front of a Rembrandt and felt a connection. You don't need an art history degree. This is for readers who love a compelling human story about fame, loss, and the stubborn pursuit of a personal truth. It will make your next museum visit infinitely richer.



✅ License Information

This work has been identified as being free of known copyright restrictions. Preserving history for future generations.

James Sanchez
4 months ago

Five stars!

Sandra Hernandez
7 months ago

Loved it.

Elijah Thompson
1 year ago

Enjoyed every page.

5
5 out of 5 (8 User reviews )

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