Birthplace of Rembrandt van Rijn - Leiden

The birthplace of Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 - 1669) stood near the Weddesteeg in Leiden. It was just inside the medieval city limits and right opposite the De Rijn windmill of the same name, where his father processed grain into malt for beer breweries. The painter was probably born here on 15 July 1606, but the house is sadly no longer there. However, a gable stone was added in 1906, 300 years after Rembrandt's birth. In the Rembrandt courtyard directly opposite is a statue scene created by artist Stephan Balkenhol on a rise, where you can see the painter, with strikingly dark face and bright blue shirt, standing in front of a self-portrait. The final portrait then hangs against the high wall.

Stephan Balkenhol (Fritzlar, 10 February 1957) is a German sculptor. He studied at the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg, taught himself at the Städelschule (art academy) in Frankfurt am Main and is currently a professor at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Karlsruhe. He creates diverse works of art, but is best known for his painted wood sculptures of animals, buildings and people, where the base is also made of wood.