Rembrandt was an extraordinary Dutch painter. He was most well-known for his brushwork and the way in which he connected with the human soul. His life, however, was not happy.

　 He was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden, the Netherlands. His father wanted him to have a real, learned profession but Rembrandt left the University of Leiden after becoming bored. He began studying art under a local teacher but soon left and studied in Amsterdam where he mastered all his lessons in six months!

At the age of 22, he moved back to Leiden and began to get his own students. One of his students was the famous artist Gerrit Dou. In 1631 he returned to Amsterdam where he became the most popular portrait painter in Holland. Rembrandt met Saskia and married her in 1634. She was a cousin of a very successful art dealer and she helped him to meet wealthy people who commissioned (委任制作) many paintings from him. He used her as a model in many of his paintings.

　 Rembrandt’s private life, however, was very unfortunate. He had four children with Saskia but only one, Titus, survived. Saskia died in 1642 at the age of only 30. In 1649, his housekeeper became his second wife and was also a model for many of his paintings. Even though Rembrandt was very successful as an artist, art dealer and teacher, he lived in a careless way and had to declare bankruptcy (破產(chǎn)) in 1656. He even had to sell his whole art collection and his house to pay off his debts.

His unfortunate life, however, didn’t affect his art. He painted many great paintings during that time. His new love, Hendrickje, died in 1663 and his 27-year-old son, Titus, died in 1668. Eleven months later, on October 4, 1669, Rembrandt died in Amsterdam. He produced more than 600 paintings and over 2,000 drawings!

56. Which of the following is the reason that made his business fail?

A. As an extraordinary Dutch painter, he knew nothing about business.

B. He spent most of his time on art, leaving no time to care his business.

C. All his children but Titus died, which made him very sad.

D. Like other famous artists, he was thoughtless.

57. From the passage we learn that Rembrandt 　　　　.

A. graduated from the University of Leiden.　 B. began his teaching career in 1628.

C. married Saskia when he was 22 years old.　 D. was good at drawing animals and flowers.

58. How many members of Rembrandt’s family died before him, not including his parents?

A. Four 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Five 　　　　　　　 C. Six 　　　　　　　 D. Seven

59. What’s the best title for this passage?

A. A brief biography of Rembrandt 　　　　　　 B. A great Dutch painter

C. The greatest painter in the world 　　　　　　 D. Rembrandt’s unhappy family