Sick woman with a large white headdress (Saskia)

"Sick woman with a large white headdress (Saskia)" is an intensely intimate and observational study executed by the Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn around 1645. Classified as a print created on paper, this work demonstrates Rijn’s ability to convey profound emotion and physical frailty through economical lines and suggestive shading. The classification as a print suggests this image may have been reproduced or served as a preliminary study for other media, though it stands powerfully as a finished piece of graphic art.

The subject is widely identified as Saskia van Uylenburgh, Rijn's wife, who died tragically young in 1642. Though the date 1645 is sometimes associated with the piece, it belongs thematically with the sensitive studies Rijn made of Saskia during her debilitating illness in the years leading up to her death. She is depicted wearing a voluminous, layered white headdress that dominates the upper composition, drawing immediate focus to the solemn expression of her face. This portrayal eschews the formality of typical seventeenth-century Dutch portraiture, offering instead a raw glimpse into private grief and human fragility.

This highly regarded work is a significant component of the Dutch Golden Age collection housed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Studies like Sick woman with a large white headdress (Saskia) are considered cornerstones of Rijn’s mature period, illustrating his evolving focus on internal emotional states and human experience. Because of the lasting cultural impact of the artist’s oeuvre, high-resolution reproductions and prints of this powerful study are often made available through public domain archives, ensuring the accessibility of Rijn's mastery to researchers and enthusiasts globally.