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#436

Rembrandt and Saskia in the Parable of the Prodigal Son

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606-1669) | Painter
Uylenburgh, Saskia van (1606-1669) | Person(s) shown
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606-1669) | Person(s) shown

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This double portrait of Rembrandt and his wife Saskia shows the couple in a moment of joyful exuberance. The motif of the soldier carousing in a tavern with a girl is reminiscent of the works of the “Utrecht Caravaggists”, who influenced Rembrandt’s work. Investigations on the evolution of the painting have shown that a lute player was originally included as a third figure in the composition, whose subject was at first the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son. The content was later fundamentally altered and this figure painted over.

Material & Technique
Oil on canvas
Museum
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister
Dating
c. 1635
Inventory number
Gal.-Nr. 1559
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