Rembrandt loved his wife. From before their actual marriage throughout the years of his life with her, he painted her portrait and included her likeness in numerous other paintings. He also painted numerous portraits of himself and included his own likeness in his paintings. Is that because his own likeness was simply handy? Did he paint his wife’s likeness because it was convenient? Was easier to say, “Saskia, can you go stand there in the corner for a moment, I need to paint a woman into this picture” than it was to hire a model or paint from imagination? One certainly cannot deny the practically of using your own family instead of hiring models. Still I find something in his portrayals of Saskia that indicates more than mere convenience. After their betrothal, Rembrandt painted a picture of his wife, in fact that is how he refers to her - as his wife, not merely his betrothed. Their marriage was decided, destined, set and no doubt the dowry had already changed hands, so even before the actual marriage ceremony, he thought of her as his wife. Through the years, he continued to include her image in his art over and over again.
Saskia van Uylenburgh, the Wife of the Artist: http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pimage?1213+0...
Rembrandt and Saskia in the Scene of the Prodigal Son in the Tavern: http://www.hobrad.com/rembrand.htm
Saskia Lying in Bed: http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pimage?50381+...
Saskia van Uylenburgh: http://www.comptons.com/encyclopedia/CAP...
I remember as a young art history student not recognizing her as the same young woman he originally painted. As she aged, she looked very different. She lost the bloom of youth, she gained weight, in some painting her face looks blotchy. He seems to have always painted her as she was and he did so even in paintings where one would expect an idealization of the female figure. This is exemplified in his paintings of the goddess Flora and of Artemisa which both look remarkably like Rembrandt’s wife. Did he see Saskia as the idealized female form and beauty of a goddess figure even as she aged? Did he love her so much that it didn’t matter that she no longer looked as she did in youth?
Saskia as the goddess Flora 1634: http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/html/r/rembran...
Saskia as the goddess Flora 1635: http://www.abcgallery.com/R/rembrandt/re...
Saskia as Artemisa: http://museoprado.mcu.es/prado/html/i71....
I find Rembrandt’s portrayals of his wife encouraging as I move forward in this life. I once had a tiny figure that has since been enveloped by a more womanly form. My once naturally blush cheeks are now blush with the aid of make-up. Fifteen years of marriage and some thirty pounds later, I like to hope that my husband, my own true love, still sees me as lovely and doesn’t think wistfully of that skinny young woman he married. Because the truth is that though popular media may idealize youth, none of us can retain it indefinitely. It will inevitably elude us; we must inevitably let it go. Better to accept ourselves and embrace life as it really is. Better to embrace our loved ones and recognize that the ideal is to accept them as they truly are. As Rembrandt did his bride, his wife, the mother of his children.
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