The perfect willingness of Lastman to paint a picture on any desired
subject, and have it ready Saturday night, all in the colors the patron
desired, with a guarantee that it would give satisfaction, filled the
heart of Rembrandt with loathing.

At the end of six months, when he signified a wish to leave, it was a
glad relief to the master. Lastman had tried to correct Rembrandt's
vagaries as to chiaroscuro, but without success. So he wrote an ambiguous
letter certifying to the pupil's "having all his future before him," gave
him a present of ten florins in jingling silver, and sent him back to his
folks.

* * * * *

Rembrandt had been disillusioned by his stay in the fashionable art-world
of Amsterdam. Some of his idols had crumbled, and there came into his
spirit a goodly dash of pessimism. His father was disappointed and
suggested that he get a place as illustrator at the bookmakers, before
some one else stepped in and got the job.

But Rembrandt was not ambitious. He decided he would not give up
painting, at least not yet--he would keep at it and he would paint as he
pleased. He had lost faith in teachers. He moped around the town, and
made the acquaintance of the painter Engelbrechtsz and his talented
pupil, Lucas van Leyden. Their work impressed him greatly, and he studied
out every detail on the canvases until he had absorbed the very spirit of
the artist. Then, when he painted, he very naturally took their designs,
and treated them in his own way. Indeed, the paucity in invention of
those early days must ever impress the student of art.