15 Surprising Facts About Rembrandt's The Night Watch
Rembrandt van Rijn's masterpiece, The Night Watch, was finished in 1642 and measures 363 cm by 437 cm. You can find it in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, specifically in the Gallery of Honour. The painting depicts Captain Frans Banning Cocq and his lieutenant, Willem van Ruytenburch, leading the civic militia. Although it’s called The Night Watch, it actually shows a daytime scene; this confusion came from layers of dark varnish that were cleaned off in the 1940s. Its true title is Militia Company of District II under Captain Frans Banning Cocq. Rembrandt was paid 1,600 guilders, equivalent to about 726 euros today, for this innovative group portrait. The artwork has faced three attacks over the years and attracts around 2.2 million visitors annually. In July 2019, a major restoration project began, utilizing cutting-edge technology.
Key facts
- Rembrandt van Rijn painted The Night Watch in 1642.
- The painting measures 363 cm × 437 cm.
- It is displayed in the Rijksmuseum's Gallery of Honour in Amsterdam.
- The scene is not nocturnal; dark varnish caused the misperception.
- The official title is Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq.
- Rembrandt was paid 1,600 guilders (about 726 euros).
- The painting was trimmed on three sides in 1715.
- It was attacked three times: 1911, 1975, and 1990.
- Operation Night Watch, a major restoration project, began in July 2019.
Entities
Artists
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- Jan Ekels the Elder
- Circle of Pieter Pietersz I
- Gerrit Lundens
Institutions
- Rijksmuseum
- Amsterdam Museum
- Kloveniersdoelen
- Rembrandt House Museum
- National Gallery, London
- Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden
Locations
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Jodenbreestraat 4
- Gallery of Honour
- Amsterdam Town Hall
- Dresden
- Germany