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Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 04 - Little Journeys to the Homes of Eminent Painters by Elbert Hubbard
page 55 of 267 (20%)
is better, and she filled her husband's heart to the brim. Those first
few years of their married life read like a fairy-tale.

He bought her jewels, laces, elegant costumes, and began to fill their
charming home with many rare objects of art. All was for Saskia--his
life, his fortune, his work, his all.

As the years go by we shall see that it would have been better had he
saved his money and builded against the coming of the storm; but even
though Saskia protested mildly against his extravagance, the master
would have his way.

His was a tireless nature: he found his rest in change. He usually had
some large compositions on hand and turned to this for pastime when
portraits failed. Then Saskia was ever present, and if there was a
holiday he painted her as the "Jewish Bride," "The Gypsy Queen," or in
some other fantastic garb.

We have seen that in those early years at Leyden he painted himself, but
now it was only Saskia--she was his other self. All those numerous
pictures of himself were drawn before he knew Saskia--or after she had
gone.

Their paradise continued nine years--and then Saskia died.

Rembrandt was not yet forty when desolation settled down upon him.

* * * * *

Saskia was the mother of five children; four of them had died, and the
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