Self-Portrait with Saskia

When Rembrandt etched this plate in 1636, the artist and Saskia van Uylenburgh had been married for two years. His wife was born in 1612 into a large and influential family in Leeuwarden, where her father served as burgomaster. Saskia and Rembrandt undoubtedly met through her cousin, the art dealer Hendrick van Uylenburgh (circa 1587 – 1661), with whom Rembrandt was living and working since his move to Amsterdam in 1631. Although Rembrandt frequently depicted Saskia, as herself or in disguise, this is the only portrait of the couple. As a double-portrait of the artist with his wife, this etching is almost without precedent in print, with the notable exception of the double-portrait of Israhel van Meckenem with his wife Ida of around 1490, which Rembrandt may well have known. Self-Portrait with Saskia shows the artist prominently in the front, while Saskia sits at the back of the table. Both are dressed in 16th-century costume, presumably as a way of placing the image – and himself as an artist – in the Renaissance tradition. Rembrandt seems to be at work, seemingly drawing the very scene he is observing in the mirror, although this is certainly a ploy, as the two portraits were very likely created in at least two separate sittings. Despite the slightly disjointed aspect of the two figures, there is a great tenderness and pride in their proximity on the sheet, and the way he presents her as his wife, with such poise and quiet confidence. He must have loved her very much, as his many depictions of her suggest, most poignantly the sketches of her being ill, and it is sad to think that only six years later Saskia would no longer be alive.