Rembrandt and Amsterdam...Oh, and Saskia,

A little foray into Dutch art now... In remembrance of my holidays this year...

Source, la Wiki, who else?: "Saskia van Uylenburgh (August 2, 1612 - June 14, 1642) was the daughter of a Frisian mayor and became the wife of the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn, the son of a well-to-do miller from Leiden. She was his model for some of the great artist's paintings and drawings".

Saskia met Rembrandt by way of her cousin, Hendrick van Uylenburgh, a painter and an art dealer, whose parents had emigrated to Kraków in Poland, but in 1625 Hendrick decided to move to Amsterdam. From 1631 Rembrandt produced paintings for Uylenburg's Amsterdam and Mennonite clients. The couple married on June 22, 1634 in Het Bildt.

From 1635 Rembrandt trained pupils in his Academia. Rembrandt gained financial success through his art, and in 1639 he and Saskia moved to a prominent house in the Jodenbreestraat. This house, next to her cousin's gallery, was located in the Jewish quarter, and is now the Rembrandt House Museum. On July 16 1638 Saskia's Frisian relatives complained that she was spoiling her heritage", spending her inheritance on needful things.



"Three of their children died shortly after birth, but on September 22, 1641 they had Titus baptised, named after his mother's sister Titia (Tietje) van Uylenburgh. Saskia died the following year, it is said from tuberculosis. She was buried in the Oude Kerk".

There is always something solid and dependable about Saskia, in my view. Pretty and plump, beautiful in the way that you'd say a cart-horse was beautiful. Strong and sensual. Plain and no-nonsense. Artfully Friesian. After her death at the age of 30, Rembrandt never remarried. At the same time, it had been a condition of Saskia's will, if he wanted to retain her dosh and Titus.

I'd like to think she's a lot like Fhina.