Rembrandt and His Wife Saskia
Medium
etching
Dimensions
sheet: 10.5 × 9.2 cm · matted: 49.1 × 36.2 cm
Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland
Accession Number
1959.81
Tags
male
About this artwork
This self-portrait is the only one in which Rembrandt showed himself with his young wife, Saskia. Both figures appear in formal attire and directly meet the viewer’s gaze. To represent himself, Rembrandt deeply etched the copper plate to create dark and decisive lines, as seen below his collar and on his left wrist. He etched Saskia’s image more lightly, with faint lines that situate her in the composition’s background. Rembrandt may have drawn the image at least in part while sitting in front o...