REMBRANDT HOUSE MUSEUM - AMSTERDAM - MASHINDER ABHA DEEPAK JULY 2011

Mashinder drove us from his house at Hepstedt, Germany, to Amsterdam, which happens to be among the best and most wonderful cites in Europe we visited. Suffice it to say that it is "DIFFERENT" as I have described in the other album on Amsterdam.
The highlight of our visit to Amsterdam was the Wonderful Rembrant museum, which has been made in the very house he lived in.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɛmbrɑnt ˈɦɑrmə(n)soːn vɑn ˈrɛin], 15 July 1606[1] – 4 October 1669) was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art history and the most important in Dutch history.[2] His contributions to art came in a period that historians call the Dutch Golden Age.
Having achieved youthful success as a portrait painter, his later years were marked by personal tragedy and financial hardships. Yet his etchings and paintings were popular throughout his lifetime, his reputation as an artist remained high,[3] and for twenty years he taught many important Dutch painters.[4] Rembrandt's greatest creative triumphs are exemplified especially in his portraits of his contemporaries, self-portraits and illustrations of scenes from the Bible. His self-portraits form a unique and intimate biography, in which the artist surveyed himself without vanity and with the utmost sincerity.[2]
In his paintings and prints he exhibited knowledge of classical iconography, which he molded to fit the requirements of his own experience; thus, the depiction of a biblical scene was informed by Rembrandt's knowledge of the specific text, his assimilation of classical composition, and his observations of Amsterdam's Jewish population.[5] Because of his empathy for the human condition, he has been called "one of the great prophets of civilization."[6]
The tour of the museum was fantastic, and we were given Voice Recorders which gave a running commentry on each painting in each room we visited. Rembrandt also had a great collection of busts of the head including a skull which must have helped him to paint the human face in true perspective. His studio where he painted showed all the original tools and brushes and palates he used along with the original paints he mixed. Once one has seen any of his paintings, one can but understand why he has been the greatest of the Dutch Master School of Artists.
We took many photographs, but since the lighting was dim and flash lights were not allowed, some are not so clear. But still they are all precious memories of a wonderful unforgettable visit to Amsterdam, and testimonials to the power of friendship which brought Mashinder and us together after 35 years without any contact!
Thank you Internet and technology which made it all possible.