Rembrandt (1606-1669), the celebrated Dutch painter, filed for bankruptcy in his fifties. Like many of the world’s finest minds and talents, he struggled financially for much of his career.
Considered one of Europe’s greatest painters and printmakers, he remains the pride of Holland. During his life, however, Rembrandt lived large. He spent well beyond his means and demonstrated a lust for expensive art, antiques and rarities. In 1656, at the age of 50, Rembrandt was compelled to file for bankruptcy. Over the course of the next two years, all his paintings and prints as well has his house were sold at auction to pay his creditors.
Because of the way bankruptcy worked back then, he couldn’t thereafter sell his art directly to the public, so he devised a method of skirting the law by selling his work through the intermediary of his son who ran an art business. Rembrandt was famous but he was not financially sound.
In any event, one thing we learn from Rembrandt is that even people with tremendous talent and genius may find themselves unable to pay their bills. Bankruptcy has a stigma of failure, but maybe we should look at it more as a red badge of courage. Many innovators throughout the centuries have put money on the back burner to pursue the wonder of creation. Sometimes it worked and sometimes they had to file for bankruptcy.
Oakland bankruptcy attorney strongly believes that bankruptcy is not a symbol of failure. It is one of the few truly compassionate laws in our current legal system. As a people, we decided a long time ago, that it was appropriate to protect those who are no longer able to pay their bills from the bill collectors.
Oakland bankruptcy attorney has a by-appointment-only office at 1300 Clay Street, Suite 600, Oakland, CA 94612. His telephone number is (510) 451-6200 x101. You can call for an appointment. If it’s an emergency, a same-day appointment is often available. Be sure to ask James Pixton for one of his many bankruptcy-related books.
