From the mid 1650s until his death at age sixty three rembrandt van rijn 16061669 generated a remarkable body of work as he searched for a new painterly and expressive style his later works demonstrate his mastery skillfulness and exceptional ability to render the effects of light and they have since defined his image as an artist rembrandt gleaned inspiration from his direct study of nature exalting the humble the mundane and even the ugly particularly in his self portraits and wo