What is geertje dircx?

Geertje Dirckx was a Dutch woman who was a lover of the famous Dutch painter, Rembrandt van Rijn. She was born in Amsterdam in 1610, and little is known about her early life except that she worked as a maid in Rembrandt's household.

Their relationship started in the mid-1640s and lasted for several years. However, Rembrandt eventually ended their relationship, and Geertje sued him for breach of promise in 1649. She won the case and received a settlement for her trouble, but Rembrandt had her confined to an insane asylum soon after.

Geertje Dirckx spent several years in the asylum in Gouda, where she died in relative obscurity in 1660. However, her story has become a part of art history as an example of the difficult relationships and societal pressures that artists and their muses faced in the past.