Portrait of a Woman: Rembrandt‘s Last Love
Hendrickje Stoffels is a headstrong and independent woman, set on starting a new life in Amsterdam from her humble home in Bredevoort, The Netherlands. She arrives on the banks of Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age a period of artistic wonder and prosperity.
Employed as a servant by the esteemed Rembrandt van Rijn in 1647, she soon learns the ropes of her new role, all the while clashing paths with the intolerable Meuvrow. As Rembrandt's favor shifts from his older mistress to the new servant in the house, tensions soon reach a boiling point.
With Meuvrow berating Hendrickje at every turn, she must choose whether to relinquish the man she loves or fight for her happily ever after. Based on the true story of Rembrandt's love affair with servant Hendrickje Stoffels, this novel explores the dynamic tensions between Rembrandt, Hendrickje, and his former maid and lover, Geertje Dircx.
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based on a true story
This tale is inspired by the life of Hendrickje Stoffels, Rembrandt‘s maid and later lover. She arrived in Amsterdam to work in Rembrandt‘s household in 1647 after her mother remarried and consequently sent her out of the house to make her own way. When Hendrickje entered service, she was 20 years old. Rembrandt was 40—exactly 20 years older than her. Despite the age gap, they formed a lifelong partnership, living together for the rest of their lives and welcoming a child together.
Geertje Dircx entered the household as a maid years earlier than Hendrickje as a wet nurse to Rembrandt‘s only child at the time, Titus. Titus‘ mother was Rembrandt‘s former wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh, who died shortly after childbirth.
Geetje was unlucky in life—by 1649 Geertje was asked to leave the household and with a modest stipend to live from. According to sources, she was volatile when Rembrandt withdrew his affections, attempting to sue the painter for breach of promise.
I was enthralled by the story of Hendrickje not just because of her love affair with a world-renowned painter but because according to surviving sources, she was said to have been unconventionally strong-willed for the time.
Against the backdrop of the Dutch Golden Age, where The Netherlands became one of the wealthiest independent countries in all of Europe. Social rules became more relaxed and independent freedoms grew, allowing for class mobility when it came to marriage.
It was also the time of major political change. The Eighty Years‘ War (1568-1648) would finish one year into Hendrickje‘s service in Amsterdam, making The Netherlands the first republic of Europe.
I came across the story of Rembrandt‘s messy love life and was so captivated by it I turned it into a short story.