Rembrandt and His Wife Saskia

This self-portrait is the only one in which Rembrandt showed himself with his young wife, Saskia. Both figures appear in formal attire and directly meet the viewer’s gaze. To represent himself, Rembrandt deeply etched the copper plate to create dark and decisive lines, as seen below his collar and on his left wrist. He etched Saskia’s image more lightly, with faint lines that situate her in the composition’s background. Rembrandt may have drawn the image at least in part while sitting in front of a mirror.