A Woman in Bed by Rembrandt van Rijn was created in 1647. The painting is in Scottish National Gallery Edinburgh. The size of the work is 81,1 x 67,8 cm and is made of oil on canvas.
The pulled-back curtain and the woman’s pose make the painted image appear tantalisingly real. The illusion is enhanced by the strong lighting directed from the left and the contrasting deep shadows. While Rembrandt may have used one of his intimate circle as a model, the painting was not necessarily a portrait. The golden headdress, rich bedding and proximity to a painting by Rembrandt’s teacher, Lastman, indicate that the subject was probably Sarah, wife of Tobias. According to the Old Testament Apocryphal Book of Tobit, Tobias successfully defeated a demon who had killed her seven previous husbands on their wedding nights. This may be Sarah willing Tobias to win. Read more in Scottish National Gallery.
About the Artist: Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman Rembrandt was born on 15 July 1606 in Leiden, in the Dutch Republic, now the Netherlands. As a boy, he attended a Latin school. At the age of 13, he was enrolled at the University of Leiden, although according to a contemporary he had a greater inclination towards painting. In 1624 or 1625, Rembrandt opened a studio in Leiden, which he shared with friend and colleague Jan Lievens. In 1627, Rembrandt began to accept students, which included Gerrit Dou in 1628 and Isaac de Jouderville… Read more
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