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Article: Self portrait with Saskia.(Rembrandt van Rijn)
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- March 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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At the height of his success in 1636, Rembrandt van Rijn painted one of his many self-portraits. As the years passed, it proved unique, as it was the only painted double portrait of himself and his wife Saskia. The theme, however, was traditional. Since ancient times, it had been common for a husband and wife to have their portraits painted shortly after their wedding, in order to show the wealth and status of their newly created family.
Yet, in Self-Portrait With Saskia, the couple are not shown formally, but rather inside a tavern. Their clothes are also not of the dark and austere style favored in strictly Calvinist Amsterdam. Instead, they are shown in ...