Rembrandt paintings in Bruges

Bruges's Groeningemuseum holds 18 works by Rembrandt (1606–1669) — the city's entire known holding of this artist in a single institution.

Rembrandt's handling of light and shadow is the great achievement of Northern European painting, and it is above all a physical achievement — thick impasto highlights built up from layers of glaze, darkness that seems to breathe. Standing in front of a major Rembrandt self-portrait is one of the defining experiences of looking at Western art.