Who was that painting done by? The colours are so rich! That's a Rembrandt, a self-portrait. Many of his paintings were of himself, but he used different painting techniques to show different feelings. He was from Holland, right? Born in the 17th century? He was the greatest artist of the Dutch school. Yes, he was a master of light and shadow whose paintings, drawings, and etchings made him a giant in the history of art. I read that he wasn't meant to be an artist, though. His father wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become a miller, but Rembrandt dropped out of university to study painting. Yes, I think the Italian painter Caravaggio inspired him to become a painter. He was fascinated by the works of many other Italian artists, perhaps because of their use of colour. Rembrandt's early works show that he was devoted to showing the lines, light and shade, and colour of the people he saw about him. So, it wasn't just colour that was important to him. But he did start to use these darker, richer colours we see here during the 1640s. His life was full of tragedy during that period.