How did Jan Lievens and Rembrandt work together in Leiden?

During their time in Leiden, Rembrandt and Jan Lievens maintained a close professional relationship, likely sharing a studio. Both artists had received training from Pieter Lastman, which provided a common foundation for their work.123

Their collaboration was characterized by both cooperation and competition. They experimented together with paint consistency, specifically exploring how variations in the paint surface could effectively render different materials. This period of interaction was highly influential, with some scholars suggesting that Lievens may have exerted a stronger influence on Rembrandt during these early years than vice versa.2

The competitive nature of their relationship is evidenced by the fact that, around 1630, both artists painted the same subjects, such as the Raising of Lazarus. While they worked in close proximity, their artistic output during this period helped shape their respective styles, with Lievens’s work from this time being particularly noted for its high quality and its reflection of their mutual influence.21