Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Rembrandt leave school to train as an artist?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Rembrandt
Self-Portrait, oil on canvas by Rembrandt, 1659; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
According to the first biographer of Rembrandt, Jan Janszoon Orlers, the artist was taken out of school prematurely at his own request to pursue training as a painter.1
While Rembrandt had been attending the Latin School in Leidenâwhere he studied biblical subjects and the classicsâhe chose to leave this formal education to begin his artistic apprenticeship. Following this decision, he trained under masters such as Jacob van Swanenburgh and Pieter Lastman to develop the skills necessary for his profession.12