The last Rembrandt’s painting with a secular theme (completed in 1661-62) depicts the leader of the Batavian Rebellion (69-70 AD) Claudius Civilis and the Batavi chiefs promising to join the rebellion against the Roman Empire. The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis was commissioned for the new Town Hall in Amsterdam but it was soon returned to Rembrandt who dramatically cut it down (to one quarter of the original size) and slightly modified it in order to make it easier to sell. In the 18th century, the painting was acquired by the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts that later deposited it in the National Museum in Stockholm where it has remained ever since.
The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis
Artworks by Rembrandt van Rijn
Print code: FA0036
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