Museum Het Rembrandthuis

Lonely Planet review

Rembrandt van Rijn lived and worked in this beautifully restored house dating from 1606. He bought the house for a fortune in 1639, made possible by his wealthy wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh. (Later, chronic debt would force the master painter to move to cheaper digs in the Jordaan.) The years spent in this house were the high point of his career, when he was regarded as a star and ran the largest painting studio in Holland.

The museum is worth visiting for the near-complete assembly of Rembrandt's etchings (250 of the 280 he is known to have made), although they are not all on display at once. Expect to see between 20 and 100 etchings on display at any one time, depending on the exhibit. Demonstrations of etching techniques take place several times daily. Note that the crowds are lightest just after opening time.

Thanks to an itemised list drawn up by a debt collector, as well as the original drawings and paintings, the interior looks much as it did when Rembrandt lived there. The collection of objects alone is mind-boggling: seashells, weaponry, musical instruments, a Roman bust and military helmets from as far away as Japan. No wonder he went bankrupt!