Flora

Flora was the Roman goddess of springtime and flowers, and she has often been a popular subject for artwork. Rembrandt painted several Floras; this was the last, and the only one that isn’t a recognizable portrait of a woman in Rembrandt’s life. There may be hints of his late wife Saskia (1612–1642), but it’s far from a clear portrait. Flora’s face is turned away in profile, as though Rembrandt wanted to de-emphasize her identity. 

Compared to Rembrandt’s previous Floras, all of whom were clearly based on Saskia, this one also stands out for other reasons. The 1634 and 1635 Floras both have elaborate dresses, complex floral hair pieces, and floral staffs. They look like they’ve stepped out of an antique, pastoral fairytale world. By contrast, this anonymous later Flora is timeless, even strangely modern. Her clothing is very simple—a plain white bodice and a yellow skirt with a belt tied around her waist. Her simple pearl necklace and earrings are nowhere as fancy as what the other Floras wore. She could be any woman from any era, even perhaps our own time. Only her fabulous, flower-encrusted hat references her identity as a goddess of springtime.

- Alexandra Kiely

P.S. Here's another portrait of Saskia as Flora.  <3