A woman looks out gently from the canvas, painted with the warm, close attention Rembrandt reserved for people he knew intimately. Their relationship came at a real social cost to her.
What you're looking at
Rembrandt painted this portrait of Hendrickje Stoffels in the mid-1650s. Stoffels became Rembrandt's companion after the death of his wife, Saskia, and she lived with him and helped raise his son, but the two never married. Because of that, she was summoned before the Dutch Reformed Church council in 1654 and publicly condemned for living with the painter outside of marriage — a real, formal religious punishment for what the church considered an immoral arrangement.
A portrait made despite public condemnation
That condemnation didn't end their relationship or Rembrandt's willingness to paint her; if anything, his portraits of Stoffels from this period carry an unusual warmth and directness, suggesting real personal affection rather than a formal, distant sitter relationship. Financial troubles were also mounting for Rembrandt around this same time, and Stoffels later took an active role helping manage his affairs and finances as his own reputation and fortune declined. Painting her at all, in the aftermath of a public church condemnation over their relationship, is itself a quiet act of loyalty on Rembrandt's part, refusing to hide or distance himself from her socially difficult position.
One detail to look for
Look at the softness and warmth of the lighting across her face, characteristic of Rembrandt's most personal portraits from this period, a marked contrast to the public scandal and condemnation surrounding their relationship at the time.
See it at its real size
Our canvas print is labeled against the true size of the original — 78.4 x 68.9 cm — so what you're hanging is honestly scaled to the painting Rembrandt made. Shop the canvas print.