Saskia sitting up in bed, holding a child (possibly her first child, Rumbartus)
Maker
(artist)
1606-1669
1606-1669
Title
Saskia sitting up in bed, holding a child (possibly her first child, Rumbartus)
Date of Production
(circa) 1635
Medium
red chalk on laid paper, with graphite framing lines partly trimmed away
Dimensions
Height: 14.1 cm
Width: 10.6 cm
Width: 10.6 cm
Accession Number
D.1978.PG.183
Mode of Acquisition
Count Antoine Seilern, bequest, 1978
Credit
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Location
Not currently on display
Keywords
Label Text
This spontaneous sketch of a mother cradling a newborn child, gazing from behind bed curtains, almost certainly depicts the artist's wife, Saskia Uylenburgh, whom Rembrandt married in 1633. The fluently drawn soft forms and the delicate application of the chalk suggest an early date. The baby is probably the couple’s firstborn son, Rumbartus. Although this intimate study was not directly preparatory for another work of art, Rembrandt probably made it – as with many other depictions of Saskia – with his paintings and prints in mind.
Provenance
James Edward Harris, 5th Earl of Malmesbury, Viscount Fitzharris (1872-1950); his sale, Christie's, London, 21 April 1950, lot 95 (sold with another drawing: 'Studies of babies asleep') purchased there by Barnett (?); purchased from him by Colnaghi (London); purchased there by Count Antoine Seilern (1901-1978), 12 June 1950 (£1,200 for both this and D.1978.PG.184); Princes Gate Bequest 1978
Exhibition History
Rembrandt's Mark, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, Kupferstich-Kabinett, 14/06/2019-15/09/2019
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012 ...More
Special Display - Rembrandt drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, 22/02/2007-03/06/2007
Rembrandt's Women, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh and Royal Academy of Arts, London, 08/06/2001-16/12/2001
About Time, Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/02/2000-30/05/2000
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Gallery, London, 02/07/1983-25/09/1983
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection A), Courtauld Gallery, London, 17/07/1981-26/01/1982 ...Less
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012 ...More
Special Display - Rembrandt drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, 22/02/2007-03/06/2007
Rembrandt's Women, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh and Royal Academy of Arts, London, 08/06/2001-16/12/2001
About Time, Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/02/2000-30/05/2000
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Gallery, London, 02/07/1983-25/09/1983
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection A), Courtauld Gallery, London, 17/07/1981-26/01/1982 ...Less
Literature
Schatborn, Peter and Erik Hinterding, Rembrandt: the complete drawings and etchings, Cologne: Taschen 2019
cat. D277 on p. 192
Rembrandt's Mark, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, Kupferstich-Kabinett, 2019
cat. no. 26.1
pp. 137-43
ill. on p. 137
Inside Rembrandt 1606-1669, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne and National Gallery Prague, 2019-2020, 2019-20
p. 258
abb. 83.2 on p. 258 ...More
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
cat. no. 25
no. 25
ill. on p. 133
dated c. 1635
Slive, S., Rembrandt drawings, Los Angeles 2009
p. 85
Rembrandt's Women, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh and Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2001
cat. no. 48 (London only)
ill. on p. 129
dated c. 1635-36
About Time, Courtauld Gallery, 2000
ill.
Rembrandt. The Master and his Workshop. Drawings and Etchings, Kupferstichkabinett SMPK at the Altes Museum, Berlin; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; National Gallery, London 1991-92
under no. 20n3
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 58
pp. 124, 189
ill. on p. 125
dated 1635-36
Schatborn, Peter, Tekeningen van Rembrandt, zijn onbekende leerlingen en navolgers / Drawings by Rembrandt, his anonymous pupils and followers, The Hague 1985
p. 28 under no. 12 and p. 36 under no. 16
White, Christopher, Rembrandt, London 1984
p. 43
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Galllery, 1983
cat. no. 8
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection A), Courtauld Gallery, London, 1981-1982
cat. no. 143
ill. on p. 104
dated c. 1636-38
Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 183
Kitson, Michael, Rembrandt, London 1969
pp. 15, 90
fig. 2
dated c. 1636-38
White, Christopher, Rembrandt and his world, London 1964
p. 35
ill. on p. 34
erroneously described as in black chalk
Seilern, Count Antoine, Paintings and drawings of Continental Schools other than Flemish and Italian at 56 Princes Gate, London SW7, London 1961; III
no. 183
pl. VIII
dated c. 1636-38
Benesch, Otto, Corpus der Rembrandtzeichnungen, 1954-73
vol. II, no. 280a
fig. 306
dated c. 1635
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, The drawings of Rembrandt: a revision of Otto Benesch's catalogue raisonné, rembrandtcatalogue.net ongoing
Benesch 0280a (posted 10 August 2016) and under 0255, 0280b-e, 0281
Rembrandt, c. 1636 ...Less
cat. D277 on p. 192
Rembrandt's Mark, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, Kupferstich-Kabinett, 2019
cat. no. 26.1
pp. 137-43
ill. on p. 137
Inside Rembrandt 1606-1669, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne and National Gallery Prague, 2019-2020, 2019-20
p. 258
abb. 83.2 on p. 258 ...More
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
cat. no. 25
no. 25
ill. on p. 133
dated c. 1635
Slive, S., Rembrandt drawings, Los Angeles 2009
p. 85
Rembrandt's Women, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh and Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2001
cat. no. 48 (London only)
ill. on p. 129
dated c. 1635-36
About Time, Courtauld Gallery, 2000
ill.
Rembrandt. The Master and his Workshop. Drawings and Etchings, Kupferstichkabinett SMPK at the Altes Museum, Berlin; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; National Gallery, London 1991-92
under no. 20n3
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 58
pp. 124, 189
ill. on p. 125
dated 1635-36
Schatborn, Peter, Tekeningen van Rembrandt, zijn onbekende leerlingen en navolgers / Drawings by Rembrandt, his anonymous pupils and followers, The Hague 1985
p. 28 under no. 12 and p. 36 under no. 16
White, Christopher, Rembrandt, London 1984
p. 43
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Galllery, 1983
cat. no. 8
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection A), Courtauld Gallery, London, 1981-1982
cat. no. 143
ill. on p. 104
dated c. 1636-38
Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 183
Kitson, Michael, Rembrandt, London 1969
pp. 15, 90
fig. 2
dated c. 1636-38
White, Christopher, Rembrandt and his world, London 1964
p. 35
ill. on p. 34
erroneously described as in black chalk
Seilern, Count Antoine, Paintings and drawings of Continental Schools other than Flemish and Italian at 56 Princes Gate, London SW7, London 1961; III
no. 183
pl. VIII
dated c. 1636-38
Benesch, Otto, Corpus der Rembrandtzeichnungen, 1954-73
vol. II, no. 280a
fig. 306
dated c. 1635
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, The drawings of Rembrandt: a revision of Otto Benesch's catalogue raisonné, rembrandtcatalogue.net ongoing
Benesch 0280a (posted 10 August 2016) and under 0255, 0280b-e, 0281
Rembrandt, c. 1636 ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: none.
Inscription: Verso: lower left corner, graphite: "5".
Collector's mark: none.
Inscription: Verso: lower left corner, graphite: "5".
Collector's mark: none.
Information on this object may be incomplete and will be updated as research progresses. We are particularly committed to addressing any discriminatory or offensive language and ideas that might be present in our records. To help improve this record, and to enquire about images of The Courtauld Gallery Collection, please email gallery.collectionsonline@courtauld.ac.uk. Find out more about using and licensing our images.
____________________________
