Wanda Swiderski
Welcome
Dear Readers,
A website is a great way to learn about a novel and what went into its creation. It is also a means for readers to explore their deep passion for the written word and their desire to know more about people and places. Launched in 2026, I am pleased to introduce Becoming Rembrandt, a novel about the great Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn. In many ways, the novel is about the impact of learning: how it shapes our understanding of the world we live in and changes us as people.
Like Shakespeare, much about Rembrandt’s life remains a mystery. Using what is known and the imagination, Rembrandt’s world comes to life within the pages of Becoming Rembrandt and reveals what it takes for a person to reach his potential— even when he doesn’t fit into his social milieu— through dedication and hard work, a willingness to learn and grow, and the strength to face life’s challenges. From boy to man, from apprentice to artist, as it is written, Rembrandt’s journey is timeless and a lesson in perseverance.
As you delve into the novel Becoming Rembrandt and the pages of this website, may your journey ignite your imagination of Rembrandt and his artwork and intrigue your curiosity to learn more about his extraordinary life.
Happy reading!
Becoming Rembrandt
LEIDEN, THE NETHERLANDS, 1616:
THE DUTCH GOLDEN AGE
Composed with vibrant historical and cultural detail, Becoming Rembrandt is a novel about the artist’s life that sheds light on his formative years from ten to seventeen. From apprentice to artist, from boy to man, Rembrandt learns what it means to endure.
At age fourteen, Rembrandt begins a three-year apprenticeship with Jacob van Swanenburg, which transforms his artistic and professional development. Rembrandt learns foundational drawing and painting skills, and the reader witnesses his education in the workshop of a great Dutch master. However, the artist’s journey is not without trials and tribulations, as Rembrandt struggles with personal isolation and the pressures of public engagement.
Rembrandt grows into a young man and seeks personal independence as his country seeks to stand on its own, free from Spanish rule. The creation of the Dutch East India Company in 1602 and military success in the war against Spain usher in an age of political self-rule and material wealth. When Rembrandt begins his journey, the world of art is on fire around him, and he longs to be part of it. However, his world presents obstacles: consumption threatens the community, hard work brings physical vulnerability, and religious tensions between Catholics and Protestants persist. Additionally, the Twelve-Year Truce with Spain is about to end, and the threat of political turmoil, once again, looms over the Netherlands. As his country fights for home rule, Rembrandt reaches for his own independence.
Like Shakespeare, much about Rembrandt’s life remains a mystery. Using what is known and the imagination, a compelling portrait of his world emerges within the pages of Becoming Rembrandt. Rembrandt’s life as a boy—his coming of age and his becoming an artist—unfolds before our eyes. His journey reveals what it takes for a person to reach his potential—even when he doesn’t fit into his social milieu—through dedication and hard work, a willingness to learn and grow, and the strength to face life’s challenges. As written, Rembrandt’s journey is timeless and a lesson in perseverance for us all.
Praise for
Becoming Rembrandt
"EDITOR'S PICK: Rich and vibrant, Becoming Rembrandt is as detailed and teeming with life as the Old Master’s paintings it depicts. Swiderski writes beautifully, bringing the Dutch Golden Age alive with her meticulous research and eye for detail. Simply gorgeous. And a must-read for any art lover!"
— Lynne Bradley, Ph.D. and Author, Adapting King Lear for the Stage
"I first met Wanda Swiderski in Grade 9, when she was my English teacher. She had an extraordinary gift for connecting with her students, making a moment in history unfold before us with such vividness that she afforded us a privileged glimpse into another period.
That gift extended beyond the classroom to her art tours at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, where her knowledge and enthusiasm sparked our curiosity and deepened our appreciation of the Dutch Golden Age. Her influence has accompanied me ever since: she inspired me to become an educator and, later, an author. Following in her footsteps, I attended the Creative Writing Summer Programme at the University of Oxford, pursuing a love of literature she had helped nurture.
Wanda Swiderski holds herself to the highest standards of anyone I have known. Her writing reflects that devotion: elegant and refined, it reveals the meticulousness of her research and her commitment to her ideals. Her dedication to her craft is matched only by her care for her family, friends, and readers.
Becoming Rembrandt embodies the qualities I have long admired in its author. In her hands, the pen becomes a brush, bringing the past to life with precision and imagination. Reading her work, I recognize the storyteller who wove tales so masterfully that they shaped lives."
— Emily Ormond, author of Mauvaise foi (Bad Faith),
Board Member of the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival
"In Becoming Rembrandt, Wanda Swiderski takes us on a memorable journey that is both instructive and enriching. In the novel, we meet fascinating characters and discover evocative historical settings that will remain etched in our memory long after we have closed the book. Becoming Rembrandt is a well-researched and compelling work, accessible to all readers."
— Licia Canton, author of The Pink House and Other Stories
Wanda Swiderski
Wanda Swiderski is an educator, writer, and art researcher who holds two degrees from McGill University—a Bachelor of Education in the teaching of English and a Master of Education in School Administration. After several years as a successful teacher, Wanda pursued her interest in school administration and held leadership positions in two prestigious Independent Schools in the Montreal area, serving as Assistant Principal at Queen of Angels Academy and as Director of the Senior School at The Study. In 2015, after an additional year of study in museology, Wanda became a docent and member of the Association of Volunteer Guides of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, where she had the pleasure of sharing the museum’s collections with visitors for several years. In 2022, Wanda became a member of the Quebec Writers’ Federation. Becoming Rembrandt is her debut novel. Wanda lives with her husband in Saint-Laurent, Quebec.
Contact
For media enquiries, event requests, and reader questions, please submit your details in the form below and we'll get back to you soon. Thank you!