Girl Asleep in a Window

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606 - 1669)

Artist/Maker

Artist: Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606 - 1669)

DatesMade: Made c. 1655

Material / Technique

Pen, point of brush in brown ink, brown wash, corrections in white body colour on paper

Dimensionsh x w: Mått 16,3 x 17,5 cm h x w: Passepartout 55 x 42 cm h x w x d: Ram 60 x 47 x 3,5 cm

Inventory numberNMH 2084/1863

AcqusitionTransferred 1863 Kongl. Museum

Other titlesTitle (sv): Sovande kvinna vid ett öppet fönster Title (en): Girl Asleep in a Window Previous: A Young Woman Asleep in a Window Title (fr): Jeune femme endormie à une fenêtre

DescriptionDescription: One of Rembrandt’s most intimate compositions depicts a young woman, possibly Hendrickje Stoffels, the artist’s partner, enjoying a moment’s rest. It is an example of Rembrandt’s later drawing style. The figure is drawn with a few powerful lines, while the paper is largely left blank in order to show the strong sunlight contrasting with the washes of the dark interior.

Depicted Person

Hendrickje Stoffels

Collection

Free-hand drawings (Drawings)

Geographical origin

Geographical origin: Holland (Kingdom of the Netherlands)

MaterialInk, Paper

TechniqueDrawing, Drawing, Wash drawing

Object category

Drawing

Additional texteDescription: Pen, point of brush in brown ink, brown wash, corrections in white body colour, 163 x 175 mm. Ruled framing lines in black ink. No watermark. Chain lines: 25 mm. Numbered in the lower right corner, in pen and brown ink, 1883 (Sparre). Mark of the Royal Collection (Lugt 1638). The woman is sitting with her eyes closed and her arm resting on the windowsill. The details of her face and the illuminated part of her dress are rendered with sparing, fine lines, and some contours have been lightened with white body colour – in particular, the upper lip has been made lighter with a small touch of white. Other forms are summed up with broad strokes of the reed pen and brush. The transparent wash gives depth to the scene. A second drawing in the same manner in Stockholm seems to be of the same model (see the next entry). The model is probably Hendrickje Stoffels, who lived with Rembrandt from 1649 on. A third drawing possibly also depicting her is in the British Museum. Most likely these drawings were made in the second half of the 1650s, when several portraits believed to be of her were also painted. As in the paintings, broad strokes define the outlines and the masses of light and dark. [Magnusson, Dutch Drawings no. 332]