Saskia van Uylenburgh, the Wife of the Artist

Rembrandt van Rijn, probably begun 1634/1635 and completed 1638/1640

The face of a young woman with pale, peachy skin materializes from a deeply shadowed background in this vertical portrait painting. Shown from the waist up, her body is angled to our right, and her face turns to look at us. She has gray eyes, a rounded nose, and her pink lips are slightly parted. A golden veil covers long strawberry-blond hair and falls down over the shoulders of her dark dress. The dress has a high, white lace collar, and a gold chain hangs over her shoulders and on her chest. Painted mostly with deep browns and earth tones, the light that falls on her face and hair creates an aura-like effect.
Artist
Rembrandt van Rijn
Date
probably begun 1634/1635 and completed 1638/1640
Type
Painting
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
62.5 × 49 cm
Collection
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence
Public domain, CC0

Image description

The face of a young woman with pale, peachy skin materializes from a deeply shadowed background in this vertical portrait painting. Shown from the waist up, her body is angled to our right, and her face turns to look at us. She has gray eyes, a rounded nose, and her pink lips are slightly parted. A golden veil covers long strawberry-blond hair and falls down over the shoulders of her dark dress. The dress has a high, white lace collar, and a gold chain hangs over her shoulders and on her chest. Painted mostly with deep browns and earth tones, the light that falls on her face and hair creates an aura-like effect.

Rembrandt van Rijn