Which Rembrandt painting shows the artist’s wife Saskia as the Roman goddess Flora?

Rembrandt’s painting showing his wife Saskia as the Roman goddess Flora is Saskia as Flora.

Rembrandt painted Saskia van Uylenburgh in 1634, the year they married. She appears in elaborate clothing with flowers, attributes associated with Flora, the Roman goddess of spring and fertility. The portrait combines a likeness of Saskia with the fashionable practice of presenting sitters in historical or mythological costume.

Saskia was a frequent model for Rembrandt during their marriage. Other works show her in different roles, including portraits and imaginative costume studies. These pictures are not all straightforward documentary portraits; Rembrandt often used family members to explore expression, dress, and character.

The painting is also sometimes catalogued simply as Flora, which can cause confusion with Rembrandt’s other works on the same theme. The title Saskia as Flora makes the sitter’s identity explicit.