In 1639, Rembrandt signed a purchase contract for the house on Breestraat Street for the huge sum of 13,000 guilders. Rembrandt had already established a reputation as an artist and was awarded the prestigious commission to paint the 'Night Watch'. However, the artist was unable to pay off his mortgage, and between 1652 and 1656 he made frantic efforts to pay off his debt but was forced into bankruptcy. In 1656, his property was inventoried for the benefit of his creditors, and his collection of art and curiosities were divested. The house was auctioned off in 1658 and purchased for some 11,000 guilders. The artist moved to a small rented place on the Rozengracht, where he lived until his death in 1669.

In 1660-62, Rembrandt’s former house was split into two parts to house several different families up to the late 19th Century. During this period, the site was reconstructed several times but its condition deteriorated over the years. Thanks to its famous former occupant, action to preserve the property was taken on the occasion of a Rembrandt exhibition in 1906. The city bought the dilapidated building and gave it to the 1907 foundation Stichting Rembrandthuis, which made efforts to restore the building’s mid-17th-century look. The restoration was carried out under architect K.P.C. de Bazel and was completed in 1911, when Queen Wilhelmina opened the museum.

The early years of the museum saw Rembrandt’s collection of etchings grow, as a result of bequests and purchases. Temporary exhibitions were held at regular intervals but very few changes were made to the house’s interior. It was not until the 1990s that major developments were made, when the trustees acquired the adjacent premises and added an extension to the museum. The facade of the new structure was designed by architects Rein Jansma and Moshé Zwarts, while the interiors was the work of Peter Sas. The plan for restructuring the museum was based on the various inventories of the house; one of 1626, and another compiled in 1656 because of Rembrandt’s bankruptcy. The new wing opened in 1998 and now houses two exhibition galleries, the secretarial department, the library and offices, as well as the Rembrandt Information Centre.

The exhibition space now provides recreations of Rembrandt’s home and studio, showcasing the areas where his son Titus was born and where his wife Saskia died at a young age, as well as where many of his well-known masterpieces were produced. The rooms have been refurnished with artworks, furniture and additional objects from Rembrandt’s time, as well as an extensive oeuvre of paintings and drawings. The site also offers some of the 290 prints Rembrandt van Rijn produced during his career as a painter. Because of Rembrandt’s graphic work, which was more widely seen than his paintings or drawings, he is generally known as one of the greatest etchers of all time.