An aging Rembrandt gazes out over the city where he made his name and lost a fortune from a billboard on a 17th century church wall.

The Dutch painter?s prominence in the heart of Amsterdam?s picturesque canal district, a stone?s throw from his last home and unmarked grave, heralds next year?s celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of his birth.

The Netherlands hopes to attract at least 250,000 extra visitors with exhibitions of Rembrandt?s finest paintings, walking tours of his favorite haunts and two newly composed musicals ? one on his love life, the other on his unique creative drive.

?We?re lucky to have such a famous figure, and of course we?re very proud,? said Rien van den Anker of the Dutch tourism board. ?Such anniversaries are very popular. Plus knowing Rembrandt is a Dutch painter and it is the 400th anniversary of his birth, museums have been more willing to lend us his great works.? Rembrandt?s pensive expression and rounded features are familiar to art-lovers the world over.

The artist painted almost 100 self-portraits in the 63 years of his life, and they, like his depictions of the rich and poor around him, are famed for their sensitivity and theatrical use of light and shade. ?He is so admired for his closeness to his models ? the way he captured the psychology of his sitters,? said Christiaan Vogelar, curator of the show which kicks off the Rembrandt year in his home town of Leiden. This feat put the Dutch master years ahead of his time, and the vitality and expression of figures such as the ruddy-cheeked ?Jewish bride? makes viewers warm to them centuries later.

Evocative settings

Dream away the cars and the bikes, and visitors to Amsterdam and Leiden will find the leaning houses, cobbled lanes and hump-back bridges little changed from Rembrandt?s day. This has prompted a simmering rivalry between the towns as they lay claim to the world-famous painter and etcher. Little Leiden hopes Rembrandt will do for it what Dutch peer Johannes Vermeer did for Delft. ?If you don?t have a painter of some name in your town then you have a problem,? admits Bart in ?t Veld of the Leiden tourism board.

Local traders are planning Rembrandt merchandise, while restaurants consider dishes to which they can append the artist?s name ? steak Rembrandt or Rembrandt van Rijn caramel. The son of a miller, Rembrandt was born in Leiden in 1606 and stayed in the town until 1631. A stubborn youth, he managed to convince his parents he was serious about painting and was apprenticed to a local artist. His birth house no longer stands, a victim of previous rivalry between Amsterdam and Leiden, at the time of Rembrandt?s 300th anniversary.

Cash-strapped Leiden, angered at having been passed over in favor of Amsterdam for the official celebrations, felt little inclined to spend the huge sums required to save the dilapidated house, and received no help from the capital which had Rembrandt houses of its own. But a charming old windmill much like the one where the Rembrandt family lived still stands close to the spot.

Young Rembrandt was attracted by the bright lights and worldly flair of Amsterdam, then at the height of its maritime and trading power. He married his beloved Saskia in 1634, the great-niece of an art dealer and moved to one of the city?s most fashionable districts, as commissions poured in. But money slipped through his fingers, as Rembrandt indulged himself with pricey collectibles and objets d?art. He was declared bankrupt in 1656 and forced to move to a smaller home.

Tragedy struck frequently ? three of his four children died shortly after birth ? and Saskia died in 1642. Rembrandt may not have slashed off his ear or been subject to the mental tortures of the Netherlands? other most famous painter, Vincent van Gogh, but makers of ?Rembrandt: The Musical,? believe his life and loves offer entertaining drama. ?He had an eventful time with the three women in his life, and he also experienced great tragedy,? said Chermain Pubben of Stardust, the firm responsible for the show.

Alexandra HUDSON