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Why is Rembrandt ranked among the first "modern" artists?

Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rihn (1606–1669) broke new ground in the use of light and shadow, free brushstrokes, and depiction of people of all classes, not just the wealthy who were able to commission portraits. His realistic paintings, etchings (drawings printed from an etched metal plate), and prints demonstrated psychological insight into the people he portrayed. In these ways Rembrandt's work resembled what would later be called "realistic modern art," though in his own time he was criticized for his artistic methods. Among his most famous works are The Syndics of the Cloth Guild (1662) and The Return of the Prodigal Son (c. 1665). The Syndics shows the board of directors of a company going over their account books. Rembrandt captured the moment when the six businessmen are interrupted, thus realistically depicting an...

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1. Michelangelo