Saskia with Pearls in Her Hair
Original title: Saskia with Pearls in Her Hair
kurzbeschreibung
Saskia van Uylenburgh, the artist's wife, appears in this 1634 etching as a bust portrait. Rembrandt van Rijn has captured her with pearl jewelry and her head turned to the side. This black-and-white print belongs among his graphic portraits.
Description
Her head is turned slightly to the right, her hair gathered in a knot and threaded with pearls. A sleeve full of folds shapes the dress, and a string of pearls encircles her neck. The background stays undefined, suggested only by thin strokes that let the face come forward. The print works with graded gray tones; color never enters the picture.
Context
This etching was made in 1634, the year of Rembrandt's marriage to Saskia van Uylenburgh. The couple was living in Amsterdam at the time. Saskia, daughter of a wealthy patrician family, brought a dowry into the marriage that gave Rembrandt artistic freedom. This print takes its place in a series of intimate likenesses he made of his wife.
Impact
The focus on the face and the delicate linework give the portrait an intimate, almost affectionate note. Pearl jewelry and the puffed sleeve point to middle-class prosperity without disturbing the naturalness of her appearance.
Technique
An etching: the drawing was incised into a copper plate, and acid deepened the lines. Varying depths of etching and the printing process produce the fine details and the graded grays. That no color print is involved corresponds to the medium and emphasizes its graphic character.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)