Abraham Entertaining the Angels by Rembrandt van Rijn

Saskia Lying in Bed by Rembrandt van Rijn
Rembrandt van Rijn, Saskia Lying in Bed, c. 1638, pen and brush with brown ink on laid paper, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund 1966.2.1

Their happiness was short-lived. Three of their children died in infancy. Their fourth child, Titus, survived, but tuberculosis led to Saskia's death in 1642, when Titus was only a year old. In this print, Rembrandt depicts the ill Saskia in bed.

Rembrandt's work began to change after Saskia's death. He moved away from a lively, extravagant, baroque style to a quieter, more reflective approach, in which poignant gestures and powerful contrasts of dark and light convey intense emotion. Commissions dropped off. He was criticized for his deeply personal manner of painting, the very quality that modern viewers find so compelling.