Put the missing phrases back in the text

This prolific painter, draftsman, and etcher is usually regarded \(A\) ... .
Rembrandt van Rijn is a genius \(B\) ... ,defied convention and brought the everyday to vivid life. Rembrandt possessed an exceptional ability \(C **\.\.\.** \) and dramatic guises. He is also known \(D **\.\.\.** \) that would lead some critics to claim that he preferred ugliness to beauty.
Early in his career and for some time, Rembrandt painted mainly portraits. The core of Rembrandt’s creations, however, consists of biblical and historical, mythological, and allegorical “history pieces,” \( **\.\.\.** E\). History painting involved placing various figures in complex settings. In the 17th-century hierarchy of the various genres, history painting held the highest position, because it required a complete command of all subjects, from landscape to architecture, from still life to drapery, from animals to, above all, the human figure, in a wide range of postures, expressions, and costumes. Rembrandt’s approach to composition and his rendering of space and light \( **\.\.\.** F\), his brushwork, and his treatment of line and tone are subject to gradual transformation, even within a single work. The painting known as Night Watch was clearly a turning point in his stylistic development.