Saskia van Uylenburgh
Saskia van Uylenburgh (August 2, 1612 - June 14, 1642) was the wife of the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn and the model for some of the great artist's paintings and drawings.
Life
Born in Leeuwarden, Saskia was the youngest of eight children of Rombertus van Uylenburgh, a top lawyer, a town burgomaster and one of the founders of the University of Franeker. She became an orphan at age twelve, following the death of her mother, Sjoukje Ozinga, and her father five years later.
Saskia met Rembrandt by way of her cousin, Hendrick van Uylenburgh, a painter and an art dealer, who moved in 1625 from Poland to Amsterdam. From 1631 Rembrandt produced paintings for Uylenburg's Amsterdam and Mennonite clients. For four years Rembrandt trained pupils in his Academia; most notable among them were Govert Flinck, Gerbrandt van den Eeckhout and Ferdinand Bol.
The couple married on June 22, 1634 in Het Bildt, where Saskia had been raised by her sister Hiskje and her brother-in-law Gerard van Loo. Another sister, Antje, died young. After the burial Saskia helped her brother-in-law, the Polish professor, Johannes Maccovius teaching theology in Franeker.
Rembrandt gained financial success through his artwork, and in 1639 he and Saskia moved to a prominent house in the Jodenbreestraat. This house was next to her cousin's gallery in the Jewish quarter, and is now the Rembrandt House Museum. Three of their children died shortly after birth. On September 22, 1641 they had a son baptised, who was named Titus, after his mother's sister Titia (Tietje) van Uylenburgh. Saskia died the following year, probably from tuberculosis, and was buried in the Oude Kerk.
After her death
At some time Rembrandt gave the jewels and rings which had belonged to Saskia, to the wet-nurse, Geertje Dircx, a gesture not much appreciated by the Uylenburgh family. A few years later Geertje expected Rembrandt to marry her, but such an arrangement would have resulted in the loss of Saskia's inheritance. When Geertje moved out and tried to sell the jewelery, Rembrandt went to court and had Geertje locked up in a madhouse, in Gouda.
Titus and his father's girlfriend, their former maid-servant Hendrickje Stoffels employed Rembrandt in his later years: a sly solution, because in that way he was able to create more paintings without being bothered by his creditors. Rembrandt sold Saskia's grave on October 27, 1662 to be able to pay for the burial of Hendrickje.
Source
- Graaff, A. & M. Roscam Abbing (2006) Rembrandt voor Dummies. Addison Wesley.
