The most important source on Rembrandt's early life is the description of the city of Leiden by Jan Jansz. Orlers (1570-1646). A first edition of it appeared in 1614, but Rembrandt does not appear in it. He was about eight years old at the time and had not yet started his painting career. In 1641 the second edition of Orlers’ description of Leiden appeared, now containing one page devoted to the life of Rembrandt up to 1641. The biography is brief, but Orlers provides a few clues for reconstructing Rembrandt's early life, laying an important foundation for later Rembrandt researchers.
Orlers writes that Rembrandt was born in Leiden on July 15, 1606. His parents Harmen Gerritsz. van Rijn and Neeltgen Willemsdr. van Zuytbroeck let him go to school to learn Latin. Then he could then go to university to eventually serve city or country. According to Orlers however, his parents took Rembrandt out of school at his own request to become an apprentice to a painter (‘Waer omme zy luyden genootsaeckt geweest zijn / haren Soon uyt de Schole te nemen / ende volgende sijn begeeren te brengen ende te besteden by een Schilder […]).
He was brought to Jacob Isaacsz. van Swanenburg who taught him for three years. There he made such good progress that his parents decided to apprentice him to Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam, where he stayed for six months. Around 1630 he leaves permanently for Amsterdam, where, according to Orlers, he still lived in 1641.
Jan Jansz. Orlers, Beschrijvinge der stadt Leyden (Leiden, for Andries Jansz. Cloeting and Abraham Commelijn, 1641), 35 B 1 and 1122 A 16 (MNL).