Self-Portrait with Saskia

Two self-portraits reveal the full spectrum of Rembrandt’s life. "Self-Portrait with Saskia", a young Rembrandt, just thirty years old, etched himself and his bride, Saskia, whom he married in 1634. The newlyweds stare at us while sitting at a table, the perspective is a little awkward but unique in its bluntness against the picture plane. This is more than a study of two likenesses. It is also a playful characterization with both Rembrandt and Saskia dressed in costumes from another era, underscoring an element of fantasy that artists routinely use.