Artist: Title: Self Portrait with Saskia Bartsch Number: B19 Date: 1636 Media: Size: 10.7 cm (4.2 in) x 9.5 cm (3.7 in)

Artist’s Biography Rembrandt (1606-1669)moved to in 1631, and initially stayed with an dealer, Hendrick Uylenburgh. Through his help and connection with wealthy patrons, Rembrandt became a popular and renowned portraitist. In 1634, he married Hendrick's niece, (1612- 1642). Saskia was the youngest daughter of a lawyer, a mayor of , and one of the founders of Contextual Information the University of . She was orphaned by age With the increasing emphasis on 12, and was raised by her sister and her brother-in- marriage and domesticity in the law. Supposedly she met Rembrandt at her uncle’s 16th and 17th centuries, an interest house when she traveled to Amsterdam. in marriage portraits grew among the public. This is the only etching Media Description in which Rembrandt portrays Rembrandt became a master of etching in his 20s himself and his wife Saskia after three years of training. He was a right-handed together. This etching was made artist. This print shows his left hand with a after two years of their marriage. tool, while his right hand was probably at rest. This Saskia was also the model for some image indicates that he used a to portray of Rembrandt’s , , himself and Saskia at the same time. When he created and other . this , however, he may have held a drawing tool in his left hand since the image of the etching on References: the plate reverses when printed on paper. He seemed http://www.mystudios.com/rembrandt/rembrandt- etchings-sp-with-saskia.html to care about light and spatial quality more than http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rembrandt accuracy. For example, the lines used to depict http://www.rembrandtpainting.net/rembrandt_life_a nd_work.htm Rembrandt are darker than those used for Saskia to http://bdindependent.com/rembrandtweb/scans/11sherri/s show she sat further away within the pictorial space. herrimain.htm

Comparis on with Rembrandt’s painting The Prodigal Son in the Tavern, 1635, oil on canvas, 161 cm (63.4 in) x 131 cm (52.6 in). This is a version of the prodigal son in which Rembrandt also portrayed himself with Saskia. Instead of depicting the prodigal son returning to his father in humility, unusually, Rembrandt captured a tavern scene. In this painting, Rembrandt turned his face to the audience. One hand held his wife Saskia and the other hand lifted a goblet. At about the same time the painting was completed, Rembrandt successfully sued Saskia’s family for withholding her portion of her father’s estate. This painting may be interpreted as Rembrandt having fun at the expense of his in-laws and his pride in his early successful life.

The Prodigal Son in the Tavern, 1635, oil on canvas. Completed by Yiwen Wei, Summer 2013