Rembrandthuis
The Rembrandt House Museum occupies the former home and studio of the Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn on Jodenbreestraat in the heart of Amsterdam. Between 1639 and 1658, Rembrandt lived and worked here, running his studio, teaching apprentices and dealing in art and curiosities. Today the museum has been meticulously restored to its 17th-century appearance and offers one of the most intimate encounters with Golden Age painting in the Netherlands.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic house museum / art museum
- Period
- House built c. 1606; occupied by Rembrandt 1639–1658; museum since 1911
- Style
- Dutch Renaissance
- Location
- Jodenbreestraat 4, 1011 NK Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Coordinates
- 52.3694° N, 4.8990° E
Overview
The Rembrandt House Museum is located on Jodenbreestraat in central Amsterdam, in a merchant’s townhouse that dates to around 1606. Rembrandt purchased the property in 1639 at the height of his success, paying 13,000 guilders — a sum that would eventually contribute to his bankruptcy. The museum today encompasses the original house and an adjoining building that contains a modern gallery wing and museum shop.
History
Rembrandt van Rijn moved into the Jodenbreestraat house in 1639 with his wife Saskia van Uylenburgh and used it as both a family home and a thriving artistic enterprise. He filled the rooms with an extraordinary collection of curiosities, antiques, natural specimens, armour and artworks that served as inspiration and props for his paintings and etchings. Financial difficulties forced him to sell the house and its contents in 1656–1658, and the building passed through many hands before being opened as a museum in 1911 following a major restoration campaign.
What you see
Visitors move through a series of authentically reconstructed period interiors: the entrance hall, a cabinet of curiosities, the painting studio with its characteristic north-facing light, and a printing room where live etching demonstrations are regularly staged. The museum’s collection includes nearly all of Rembrandt’s 280 known etchings as well as a rotating selection of drawings and paintings. The adjoining modern wing provides context through temporary exhibitions and documentary material about the Golden Age art market.
Cultural significance
The Rembrandthuis is one of the few artist’s homes in the world where the original working environment can be experienced at close range, down to the pigments and tools of a 17th-century Dutch master’s studio. It stands as a key monument of Amsterdam’s Jodenbuurt (Jewish Quarter) and is listed as a national monument of the Netherlands. The house offers irreplaceable insight into how Rembrandt built, curated and ultimately lost one of the most ambitious personal collections of his era.
Practical information
- Address
- Jodenbreestraat 4, 1011 NK Amsterdam
- Opening hours
- Check official website for current schedule
- Admission
- Check official website for current prices
- Website
- rembrandthuis.nl
Getting there
The museum is a short walk from Amsterdam Centraal station. By tram, take lines 14 or 24 to Waterlooplein. Metro line 51/53/54 stops at Waterlooplein, approximately 300 metres from the entrance. The Jodenbreestraat is also easily reached on foot from the city centre or by bicycle via the extensive Amsterdam cycle network.