Rembrandt's Wife and Five Other Heads

Rembrandt's Wife and Five Other Heads is an etching created by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1636. This remarkable print exemplifies the artist's dedication to studying human expression and composition during the Dutch Golden Age. Created using the etching technique, the work offers a spontaneous, sketch-like quality that allowed the artist great freedom to capture the fleeting characteristics of the subjects. It is widely recognized as a "study sheet," a practice Rembrandt often employed to compile preparatory sketches or character studies onto a single plate.

The composition arranges six distinct heads in various orientations, including detailed frontal portraits and distinct profiles of both men and women. Central to the piece is the likeness of Saskia van Uylenburgh, Rembrandt's wife, whose features appear more than once. The figures are rendered with varying degrees of finish; some, like the sorrowful woman in the center, display deep emotion captured through masterful chiaroscuro, while others serve primarily as structural studies of facial bone and muscle. This assemblage of figures reflects the period's interest in tronies—studies focused on capturing expression and type rather than a formal, commissioned portrait.

This etching highlights Rembrandt's prolific output in graphic arts, a medium that was instrumental in establishing his reputation internationally. The work provides valuable insight into the processes of the master, showing him experimenting with light, shadow, and line before applying those insights to larger oil paintings. Today, the work is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Prints of this significant study sheet, which falls within the public domain, continue to be essential resources for scholars studying the artist's technical development.