The Night Watch (1642) by Rembrandt van Rijn: Interpretation of Dutch Baroque Group Portrait. The civic guards who are depicted had, by the time … The Night Watch is thought to either depict the contemporaneous tension between the Dutch and the Spanish or to represent the 17th-century social tensions between Catholics and Protestants. This varnish was removed only in the 1940s. The dead chicken is also meant to represent a defeated adversary. Later still, when the Germans began to build their Atlantic Wall, it was moved once more to the South of Holland, where it remained until the liberation of Holland by the Allies in September 1944. This was done, presumably, to fit the painting between two columns and was a common practice before the 19th century. The painting has also suffered damage at the hand of art dealers, who in 1715 cut the painting down on three side on order to fit it between two columns, and vandals, who have purposely tried to ruin the painting. 30 July 1947: One of the finest examples of the great period of Dutch painting is now on view again. The colour yellow is often associated with victory. Eighteen names appear on a shield, painted circa 1715, in the centre right background, as the hired drummer was added to the painting for free. Rembrandt painted The Night Watch in 1642 and is known as one of his most famous paintings. Eighteen names appear on a shield, painted circa 1715, in the center-right background, as the hired drummer was added to the painting for free. The varnish was removed during the 1940’s, but the name remained popular. Exaggerated by a deteriorating varnish, this darkness caused the picture to be called the Night Watch in the eighteenth century. Formally titled “Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq” the dramatically rendered military group portrait has an epic history all its own marked by confusion, discovery and violence. When the Germans invaded Holland in May 1940, it was hurriedly transferred to a bomb-proof shelter in the dunes. The Cultural Significance of The Night Watch. In order to repair the scratched varnish, the museum enlisted the services of the restorer Albertus Johannes Hesterman (1848-1916) and his sons, Frederik Coenraad (1873-1932) and Albertus Johannes (1877-1955). In 1975, an unemployed school teacher attacked the work, leaving a large section of zig-zags scratches. Rembrandt van Rijn’s monumental masterpiece The Night Watch is considered by many to be the pinnacle of Golden Age Dutch painting. The layers of varnish put on in the course of centuries were so thick that the colours were blurred and the beauty of the picture dimmed. “The Night Watch is one of the most famous paintings in the world”, Taco Dibbits, general director of the Rijksmuseum, said. Rembrandt was paid 1,600 guilders for the painting (each person paid one hundred), a large sum at the time. The group portrait of the officers and other members of the militia company of District II, under the command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch, now known as The Night Watch, is Rembrandt’s most ambitious painting.This 1642 commission by members of Amsterdam’s civic guard is Rembrandt’s first and only painting of a militia … In 1642, when this masterpiece was delivered to the Kloveniersdoelen, it looked quite different from the work of art as we can admire it at the Rijksmuseum today. It is in the collection of the Amsterdam Museum but is prominently displayed in the Rijksmuseum as the best known painting in its collection. Critics agree that it is likely Rembrandt painted this work with multiple layers of symbolism so that it could be interpreted in a variety of ways. What is happening now: varnish removal tests. This alteration resulted in the loss of two characters on the left side of the painting, the top of the arch, the balustrade, and the edge of the step. With effective use of sunlight and shade, Rembrandt leads the eye to the three most important characters among the crowd: the two gentlemen in the centre (from whom the painting gets its original title), and the woman in the centre-left background carrying a chicken. The light and dark contrast in the military portrait is very well recognized. Rembrandt’s painting was set in the daytime. A century later “The Night Watch” underwent a series of attempts to “regenerate” the varnish and remove its yellowish tint. 'Like a military operation': restoration of Rembrandt's Night Watch begins, Time to revisit Rembrandt's The Night Watch, a glowing symbol of democracy | Jonathan Jones. For some years after completion it had no recognised name, but was simply called Company Piece, as it was commissioned by a section of the Civic Guard. However, by the 19th century, the painting had taken on a darker tone: Time, dirt, and varnish had taken its toll, so viewers thought the painting was a night scene. The oil painting by Rembrandt in 1642 is commonly referred to as The Night Watch, but the darkness of the setting is actually due to the varnish aging over time.The actual title of the painting is Officers and Men of the Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Wilhelm van Ruytenburgh, according to an article by Khan Academy.It was mainly commissioned by the city of … By the way, the official version of … In 1715, upon its removal from the Kloveniersdoelen to the Amsterdam Town Hall, the painting was trimmed on all four sides. The painting was commissioned (around 1639) by Captain Banning Cocq and seventeen members of his Kloveniers (civic militia guards). Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq, also known as The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch, but commonly referred to as The Night Watch (Dutch: De Nachtwacht), is a 1642 painting by Rembrandt van Rijn. Night Watch, by Rembrandt van Rijn, found in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, has undergone several restorations since 1642. This photograph shows the picture as it is to-day. A 17th-century copy of the painting by Gerrit Lundens at the National Gallery, London shows the original composition. Luckily only the varnish was damaged. In fact, its subdued lighting was caused by the premature darkening of its multi-layered varnish. Over sixty holes and patches were found, many of them the result of cuts with a palette knife. These are the images we see on tea-towels, t-shirts, cellphone covers and fridge-magnets. The figures are almost life-size. The Night Watch is one of the most famous Dutch Golden Age paintings. The scene was not set at night, so it is not the night watch. Mohamed is deeply shaken when his oldest son Malik returns home after a long journey with a mysterious new wife. In fact, the Night Watch was meant to be a daytime scene. This is a part of the Wikipedia article used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). For much of its history, the painting was covered with a thick layer of varnish, giving the impression that it was a night scene, hence the name. The night watch title, which was not given by the artist, was first applied at the end of the 18th century. The title “Night Watch” became more popular over the last hundred years … Since this celebrated work will always be known by an incorrect title, and since those who have not seen it continue to believe, quite logically, that it is a nocturne Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenhurch, and not until late in the 18th Century did it acquire the name by which it is now known. The painting is renowned for three characteristics: its colossal size (363 cm × 437 cm), the effective use of light and shadow and the perception of motion in what would have traditionally been a static military portrait. The Night Watch will be restored in a clear glass chamber designed by French architect Jean Michel Wilmotte. For much of its existence, the painting was coated with a dark varnish which gave the incorrect impression that it depicted a night scene, leading to the name Night Watch. When it returned the opportunity was taken to clean and restore the painting. It may have been called the Night Watch because of the composition and lighting, which were extremely unusual at the time of its painting (about 1642) and which may have been misunderstood. The first use of the title Night Watch occurs towards the end of the eighteenth century, and since then all attempts to give it a more accurate name (such as, perhaps, March of the Civic Guard) have failed. It was finally sent back to Amsterdam in June 1943, still by some miracle intact. The painting was successfully restored, although the scratches are still somewhat visible. This was one of a series of seven similar paintings of the militiamen ( Hence it’s nickname was born: De Nachtwacht — The Night Watch. The painting is famous for three things: its colossal size (363 cm × 437 cm (11.91 ft × 14.34 ft)), the dramatic use of light and shadow (tenebrism) and the perception of motion in what would have traditionally been a static military group portrait. The Night Watch is no longer exactly the same painting that Rembrandt created centuries ago. Rembrandt's 'Night Watch' may need a different nickname after the painting was put under new lighting that makes it look like a day scene. The man in front of her is wearing a helmet with an oak leaf, a traditional motif of the arquebusiers. For centuries, The Night Watch by Rembrandt has been inspiring many artists, scholars, musicians, and filmmakers. Until 1940, the work was coated with a dark varnish which gave the impression that it depicted a night scene. Its nickname derives from the fact that the many layers of varnish applied to the painting over the centuries darkened it to the point that it seemed to depict a night scene. Rembrandt masterfully used the contrast between light and shadows to create a dramatic effect. Since the restoration of the painting, when all the old varnish was removed, it is quite plain that, for all the shadow, it is actually a 'day watch'. After it was cleaned, night was transformed into golden sunlight that shone, as if with a spotlight, on the captain and his lieutenant. It is a group portrait of a company of civic guardsmen. The painting was commissioned around 1639 by Captain Banninck Cocq and seventeen members of his Kloveniers (civic militia guards). The varnish was removed in 1940, revealing the bright colors of the painting. It depicts the eponymous company moving out, led by Captain Frans Banning Cocq (dressed in black, with a red sash) and his lieutenant, Willem van Ruytenburch (dressed in yellow, with a white sash). The acid was quickly neutralized, however, and the painting was saved. The full text of the article is here →, {{$parent.$parent.validationModel['duplicate']}}, Amsterdams Historisch Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1-{{getCurrentCount()}} out of {{getTotalCount()}}, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Watch, Self-Portrait with Saskia in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The dark background mistaken for the time of day was a varnish turned dark with age and dirt. The best known work by Rembrandt, this painting resides at the State Museum in Amsterdam, where it is lauded as one of the most famous paintings in the world. Rembrandt’s Night Watch is an example of a very specific type of painting that was exclusive to the Northern Netherlands, with the majority being commissioned in the city of Amsterdam. It was first called The Night Watch in 1897, when the varnish applied to protect the paint had become so old and stained the picture looked like a nocturnal scene. Under the blue and steel-gray sky, the bright sails on the vanes draw the viewer's eyes to the mill, which is perched on a bulwark to take advantage of the additional height. In all the restorers have removed about seven or eight layers of varnish. During the work they discovered that the painting had been carelessly handled in previous restorations. This varnish was removed only in the 1940s. For much of its existence, the painting was coated with a dark varnish, which gave the incorrect impression that it depicted a night scene, leading to the name by which it is now commonly known. Actually, the Night Watch is one of the most famous paintings in the world. It is also known, by comparing Rembrandt’s painting with a copy by Lundens (probably done in 1649) now in the National Gallery in London that the original canvas must have been much larger — about 153 by 189 inches, instead of 143 by 172 inches as it is to-day. The Night Watch is one of the most famous Dutch Golden Age paintings. As such, they were tasked with guarding gates, policing streets, putting out fires, and generally maintaining order throughout the city. Night Watch. Why was The Night Watch painting trimmed? The restoration has made a remarkable difference, revealing many details hitherto concealed and giving it a new richness and depth of colour. The primary purpose of these guardsmen was to serve as defenders of their cities. To be able to determine whether the varnish on the Night Watch can be safely removed from the paint layers, several varnish removal methods have been tested in a few areas in the painting. Rembrandt was paid 1,600 guilders for the painting (each person paid one hundred), a large sum at the time. The Night Watch. She is a kind of mascot herself; the claws of a dead chicken on her belt represent the clauweniers (arquebusiers), the pistol behind the chicken represents clover and she is holding the militia's goblet. ... Until 1940, the work was coated with a dark varnish which gave the impression that it depicted a night scene. In 1990, the painting was attacked again, by a man who threw acid on the canvas. The restoration of the painting in 1977 - 1979 removed the old varnish, thereby changing the painting's symbolic character. The change … This was one of a series of seven similar paintings of the militiamen (Dutch: Schuttersstuk) commissioned during that time from various artists. In 1911 Rembrandt's Night Watch was attacked in the Rijksmuseum with a cobbler's knife. The name Rembrandt has become a synonym for greatness. The picture was a huge success at the time, not least because it turns a … Luckily, since Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq isn’t nearly as memorable. Rembrandt has displayed the traditional emblem of the arquebusiers in a natural way, with the woman in the background carrying the main symbols. Those who criticised the work of restoration have been silenced by the result. It’s last major restoration happened 40 years ago, following an attack on the painting in 1975. The painting was probably much larger before it was trimmed in 1715. The Night Watch. They are part of the West’s visual vernacular. After years of varnish and low light darkened the canvas, someone called it ‘The Night Watch’, and it stuck. Italian for "light-dark," the term refers to works that play … A total of 34 characters appear in the painting. Behind them, the company's colours are carried by the ensign, Jan Visscher Cornelissen. This balustrade and step were key visual tools used by Rembrandt to give the painting a forward motion. At the beginning of the war, in August 1939, the Night Watch was evacuated to a secret hiding-place in North Holland. Night Watch, by Rembrandt van Rijn, found in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, has undergone several restorations since 1642. The Hague, July 28Rembrandt’s Night Watch, one of the finest examples of the great period of Dutch painting, is now on view again in the National Museum at Amsterdam after having been removed for over a year for cleaning and restoration. Some paintings almost everyone in the Western world knows: Leonardo’s “Mona Lisa,” Piero Della Francesca’s “The Baptism of Christ,” and “The Night Watch” by Rembrandt van Rijn. The painting was completed in 1642, at the peak of the Dutch Golden Age. The Night Watch is the largest painting (at 142.9 in x 172.0 in) in Rembrandt’s line of work. This dark varnish was removed only in the 1940s. It is also been recognized as one of Rembrandt’s most debatable and controversial works of art. It is a curious fact that no one knows the origin of this famous picture, which is almost certainly misnamed. The Night Watch was completed in 1642. The painting is famous for three things: its colossal size (363 cm × 437 cm (11.91 ft × 14.34 ft)), the dramatic use of light and shadow (tenebrism) and the perception of motion in what would have traditionally been a … A total of 34 characters appear in the painting. ‘The Night Watch ’ Why is Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch,” in particular, so iconic? Unfortunately, both \"Night\" and \" \"Watch\" are wrong. 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