In 1641, the Dutch master is at the height of his success. Unchallenged by portraits of the rich and famous, Rembrandt indulges other pursuits like splurging at auctions and helping his adolescent neighbor, Samuel. After trying to run away, Samuel agrees to work as Rembrandt's studio apprentice to appease his father, a respected rabbi who wants his son to be a scholar. Samuel thrives in the studio as a talented printmaker. Meanwhile, Rembrandt struggles with a commission for militia commander Caption Banning Cocq, but he abandons it completely when his wife dies soon after childbirth. He also neglects his infant son. When a dismayed Samuel convinces the artist to fulfill his parental duties, he finally understands his own father. Rembrandt breaks from artistic convention to follow his heart, transforming the Captain's group portrait into his masterpiece, "The Nightwatch."