Liste des épisodes

Leyden, 1614. Cloth merchant's son Jan Lievens and miller-brewer's son Rembrandt Van Rijn become best buddies, inseparable, each brat determined throughout their studies to become Holland's best painter or even the world's. They dream of becoming court painters in 'artistic desert' England if introduced by Constantijn Huygens, highly cultivated secretary to the stadtholder of the Duch republic, and a friend of king James. Opportunistic Lievens and stubborn Rembrandt, whose father dies without ever having shown his pride, become rivals for a home commission Rembrandt wins, Jan leaves for England.

Rembrandt falls in love with Saskia, daughter of rich Frisian merchant Van Uylenburgh. Painting apprentice Govert Flick brings her from their native Leeuwarden to Amsterdam, where she must stay with an aunt. Libertine Rembrandt, now in favor even with the stadtholder, courts and marries her and sires a son. Talented Govert becomes Rembrandt's right hand. Now famous Rembrandt spends even more then he earns and gets into strife with everyone, even sues Saskia's family. The baby dies, straining the marriage. Professional success compensates his private sorrows, including two stillborn babies. With lesser inspiration comes financial trouble. He devises the monumental Nightwatch so each city militiaman on it would pay separately. Finally a son survives, Titus, but exhausted Saskia dies soon afterward.

Amsterdam, 1658-59. Suffering from the plague, although it's not epidemic time, Govert Flinck looks back on his life in Rembrandt's shadow. Although financially the best rewarded painter of their age, Govert never caught up artistically with the master, whose stubborn integrity ruined his chances at many commissions. Evcen Govert's own son took lessons from Rembrandt. The last and most prestigious city commission, Claudius's "Dutch rebellion against Rome", ended in tragedy for both of them and posterity.

Amsterdam, 1665. Rembrandt's offspring looks back at the family's tormented life, because of his refusal to sacrifice art to profit in poverty after his first wife's death. His only two surviving children became cheap models, yet enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with him. Son Titus lacked father's artistic skill, but was a charming gentleman who quickly married well, had a family of his own but succumbed to disease. In order to preserve his inheritance, Rembrandt couldn't remarry so his daughter Cornelia remained a bastard. Her Platonic relationship with shy patrician nerd Jan Swammerdam was sacrificed to stay with otherwise lonely father.