Rembrandt’s enigmatic “The Night Watch” is one of the greatest paintings of the Dutch Golden Age. It was completed in 1642, at the height of the artist’s success. Rembrandt (1606–1669) was the most famous painter in Amsterdam, renowned for history painting and portraiture. “The Night Watch” is a groundbreaking group portrait that has weathered misconceptions, attacks, and conservation issues. It is now undergoing a restoration in a multi-year, complex process dubbed “Operation Night Watch.” This complex process is on full view for the public—a thrilling measure as innovative as the painting itself.
A member of the rarified club of artists known by only one name, Rembrandt, born Rembrandt van Rijn, changed the course of art by pushing the boundaries of brushstroke, color, light, and subject. He grew up in Leiden the son of a miller and briefly studied at the city’s university before leaving to pursue painting.
Rembrandt trained in Amsterdam, permanently moved there in 1631, and, unlike many of his contemporaries, never travelled to Italy to study the works of the Classical, Renaissance, and Baroque artists there. Nevertheless, he was exposed to the work of earlier artists via prints. His oeuvre reflects the influence of Caravaggio’s dramatic lighting. This is especially evident in the interplay of light and shadow in “The Night Watch.”
In the 1630s and early 1640s, Rembrandt’s career was on an upward trajectory. He received commissions from grand patrons, was a prolific collector of art and antiques, and spent the money he earned with abandon. A constant throughout his artistic life was self-portraiture.
Guards in Motion
“The Night Watch” is Rembrandt’s largest canvas and is at a nearly life-size scale. Its official title is “Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq,” but the artwork has been known as “The Night Watch” since the 1790s. Its alternate title was derived from the visual evidence at the time that the composition was of a nocturne, but this was a misconception. Originally coated with a dark varnish, the painting darkened even more due to dirt accumulating over time.In fact, the canvas shows a company of Amsterdam’s civic guard on a daytime march through the city. These militiamen were known as “kloveniers.” They used an early example of a musket called an arquebus. Their role included policing the streets, firefighting, and being ready to fend off attack from the Spanish.
This conventional work was commissioned for the same building as “The Night Watch.” The difference is striking; it is Rembrandt’s work that tells a story.
The central character in the painting is Captain Frans Banninck Cocq. He is dressed in black with a red sash and white lace collar. Next to him is his lieutenant, Willem van Ruytenburch, whose light-yellow coat features motifs of rearing lions, a civic symbol of Amsterdam. Rembrandt even captured a shadow cast by the captain’s hand on the yellow coat as he gives marching orders.
The company begins to assemble into formation, creating a whirl of activity. The canvas’s diagonal lines crisscross the viewer’s attention, projecting the sound of activating muskets, chatter, a dog, and a drum. Rembrandt plays with spotlights, using tenebrism, extreme contrasts of light and dark, to heighten the drama of the narrative.
Further animation comes from the inclusion of children. A boy dashes at the left-hand side and a golden-haired girl has a chicken tied to her waistband. She seems incongruous, but is likely the company’s mascot, as a golden claw was their emblem. Scholars believe Rembrandt included a self-portrait as well—a cropped head wearing a beret peeks out at the back of the throng and strongly resembles the artist.
Alterations and Conservations
In 1715, “The Night Watch” was cut down on three sides to facilitate its installation in the Amsterdam Town Hall. The removed pieces of canvas were not preserved. But today, the extent of the areas of loss are known thanks to a 17th-century copy by Gerrit Lundens, which is part of the Rijksmuseum collection.
The conservation project “Operation Night Watch” is the most comprehensive analysis of the painting ever undertaken. Its goal is the long-term protection of the work and has no end date. The first stage of research, with the intent to formulate a treatment plan and uncover new insights about the work, began in the summer of 2019. A glass chamber was designed specifically for the project and built to encase the picture in its display gallery. The team has used tools including artificial intelligence, digital imaging, and computer science.
In November 2024, the endeavor entered a new phase: Eight specialists are now painstakingly removing the varnish that was applied almost 50 years ago during another restoration effort. They place non-woven tissue with a solvent on a piece of the surface for 60 seconds. Any varnish that remains immune to the initial solvent will be removed with the use of a microscope and cotton swabs. When that process is complete, a new varnish will be applied.
In the centuries after Rembrandt’s death, his fame reached stratospheric heights. “The Night Watch” is considered a Dutch national treasure and a symbol of the country. The masterpiece is visited by over two million visitors each year. It’s fortunate that the public can continue to enjoy it during its restoration, as well have the opportunity to observe the cutting-edge research firsthand.
