Saskia met een parelsnoer in het haar

About this artwork

mark: Lugt 787

Art Historical Context

In 1634, Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch Baroque master, created this intimate etching *Saskia met eenlsnoer in het* (Saskia with a Pearl Necklace in Her Hair portraying his newlywed wife, Saskia Uylenburgh. The couple had married that same year in Friesland, and this tender depiction captures her youthful beauty just months into their union. Saskia, often mused by Rembrandt, symbolizes the personal muse in his early Leiden and Amsterdam periods, blending portraiture with affectionate domesticity amid the Dutch Golden Age's prosperity. Measuring a diminutive 87mm by 66mm, this etching exemplifies Rembrandt's revolutionary printmaking prowess. Using a copper plate etched with nitric acid, he achieved extraordinary depth through intricate line work, subtle burrs, and tonal gradations that mimic the luminosity of his oil paintings. Pearls in her hair evoke elegance and wealth, a nod to 17th-century fashion, while the mark Lugt 787 signifies esteemed provenance from a notable collector's estate. This rare, small-scale gem highlights Rembrandt's shift toward expressive intimacy in prints, influencing generations of etchers. Visitors, imagine holding this jewel-like work— a window into the artist's heart during his rising fame.

About the Artist

Rembrandt van Rijn · 1606–1669

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669) stands as one of the greatest visual artists in the history of Western art and the most important Dutch painter of the 17th century. Born in Leiden to a prosperous miller's family, Rembrandt transformed painting through his revolutionary use of light and shadow, his psychological depth in portraiture, and his elevation of etching to a fine art. His approx...