An artist driven by reckless desires, so famous he went by one name only.
He lived large, went bankrupt and was buried in an unmarked grave.
That's not a description of some contemporary painter - it's Rembrandt, living in 17th century Amsterdam.
The most comprehensive exhibition of the Dutch master's work held in Australia in 25 years opens at the National Gallery of Victoria on Friday, full of insights about the life and work of an artist regarded as one of the greatest.
Rembrandt's career began in Leiden in the 1620s and he quickly found success after moving to Amsterdam, spending his money on an extravagant mansion, artworks and exotic curiosities.
But the artist couldn't pay his mortgage and went bankrupt in 1656.
"He possibly goes a bit too far with his lavish lifestyle," curator Petra Kayser told AAP.
While bankruptcy was terrible for Rembrandt, according to Kayser, it was great for art historians because it provided a record of everything he owned - including his collection of exotic items.
A display inspired by the artist's cabinet of curiosities, or wunderkammer, is at the centre of the show, with the kind of items he collected including fossils, swords and taxidermied animals.
There are also major works on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, the Louvre Museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam that have never been seen in Australia before.
Rembrandt's Self-Portrait, 1659 shows the artist at the age of 53, three years after he declared bankruptcy, with sagging skin and lines under his eyes, a masterpiece of his late painting style.
But the exhibition starts small - very small - with some of the artist's earliest etchings, many not much bigger than a postage stamp.
They are some of more than 100 Rembrandt etchings from the National Gallery of Victoria's collection, light sensitive works that have not been on display since about 2006.
A close look reveals Rembrandt's empathy and deep emotional insight and his commitment to uncompromising realism - his subjects are shown with wrinkles, jowls and all.
The exhibition comes with an appeal by the National Gallery of Victoria to acquire one of the works on display, an etching of the artists friend Abraham Francen from about 1657.
Like Rembrandt, he too was a passionate collector, and is shown in his chamber surrounded by objects - another insight into 17th century life.
Rembrandt: True to Life is on at NGV International from Friday until September 10.
