‘Compellingly written.’ Nederlands Dagblad

‘A captivating portrait of an artist as a young man and the city of Leiden as protagonist. It testifies to a great historical imagination.’ **** De Standaard

‘There’s still a lot we don’t know about the first 25 years of the painter’s life. Blom nimbly weaves the limited biographical details with chunks of local history and a hefty dose of hypotheses. He makes optimum use of the space to make his vision of the artist’s development believable. As we already knew from Wolkers biography, this biographer possesses a graceful pen. In his hands Rembrandt’s early years become a lively quest and deep psychological study in one.’ HP/De Tijd

‘Young Rembrandt bursts with vivid details and juicy anecdotes; great research.’ Trouw

‘In Young Rembrandt a Rembrandt emerges who became a true artist via an unconventional path, though Blom admits the painter will always have something enigmatic about him, no matter how close he may try to get.’ Vrij Nederland

‘It’s a book that makes the young Rembrandt more tangible without lapsing into fiction, a book for admirers in the making and all others who can’t get enough of Rembrandt.’ Tertio


‘As the author of two big books on Rembrandt and a number of small ones, I nonetheless find myself wishing to be able to delve more deeply into various aspects of his work and life. That starts with his early life in Leiden, his family, his school, local lore, the people who encouraged him and bought his earliest paintings and etchings. Because the documentary evidence is so sparse, it takes intimate familiarity with the Leiden surroundings, a good historical imagination and a certain literary daringness to do justice to this important theme. So I was delighted to hear that Onno Blom, who is richly endowed with all three prerequisites, is taking on the job. I am looking forward eagerly to a book that will evoke Rembrandt’s beginnings in full color.’ Gary D. Schwartz, author of Rembrandt's Universe

‘I know Blom to be an ambitious researcher and a gifted writer. His way with words, his experience as a biographer and his understanding of art and the city of Leiden make him the ideal candidate to write the biography of the young Rembrandt. I declare myself willing to advise him on his subject matter where appropriate, considering my long experience with Rembrandt's artistic career and oeuvre.'
Prf. Ernst van de Wetering, Rembrandt Research Project