Seated Saskia with a letter in her left hand 1635

Rembrandt van Rijn made this drawing of his wife Saskia with pen and brown ink, around 1633 in the Netherlands. The loose style indicates this was made at home, away from the gaze of the market. At this time, Dutch society was dominated by the mercantile elite, for whom images were commodities. Rembrandt was unusual, however, in taking his wife as a subject. It was more common for artists to depict wealthy patrons, mythological or biblical scenes. This was a time when the Dutch Reformed Church frowned on displays of wealth or personal emotion. Rembrandt was more interested in conveying psychological depth and a sense of lived experience. The letter she holds hints at the power of correspondence in binding together a far-flung commercial empire. The fact that Saskia is literate also speaks to the rising status of women at this time. To understand this work better, we can investigate the artist's biography, as well as looking at the changing status of women in 17th century Amsterdam.