Rembrant Harmenszoon Van Rijn (1606-1669)

In 1947 Rembrant's masterpiece "The Nightwatch" underwent cleaning. As centuries of grit were lifted, curators discovered it was actually a daylight scene. Experts agree he was a master of "chiaroscuro", the effect of the play of light and dark in a scene. In all he produced 600 paintings, 300 etchiings, and thousands of drawings. With his brilliant technique he has influenced artists through centuries.