Self-Portrait with Saskia, 1636
MediumEtching
State/print versionII/IV
Panel dimensions10,4 × 9,5 cm
Sheet dimensions10,3 × 9,3 cm
About the workThe Dutch painter Rembrandt used printmaking as a field of experimentation. This etching is the only one in which he depicts himself together with his wife Saskia. Gazing intently out of the picture, the difference in size between the figures is striking. Their physical proximity to each other expresses an intimate bond. At the same time, their pose reveals how this double portrait was created: it is clear that Rembrandt is looking into a mirror, concentrating on the model sitting opposite him – who simultaneously returns the artist’s gaze.
AccessionAcquired 1927 from the Hetjens Museum
Provenance[…]; seit 1932 Dauerleihgabe der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Inventory numberK 1928-977
