Art historians… here’s a question for you. Have you ever heard of a painting titled “Militia Company of District II Under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq? Maybe you have, or maybe not. Either way, you’ve probably seen this painting. It was completed in 1642 by one of the world’s most famous artists. The painting today is in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Enough guessing games. Here is the painting.
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Oh, but wait! This is “The Night Watch” by Rembrandt. It’s famous because — among other reasons — it was one of the earliest paintings to show a group in action.
Now, here’s a fascinating little fact about this work by Rembrandt van Rijn. First, take a close look here. This painting shows a militia captain — Frans Banninck Cocq — who is dressed in black. He is giving instructions to the lieutenant at his side, asking that the company start marching. Around them, the guardsmen are moving into formation. A young girl in the background serves as the company’s mascot. Rembrandt skillfully uses light to focus on key details, such as Captain Cocq’s hand gesture.
And why would this militia company be drilling or moving at night? Well, it’s because of the dark varnish used on the painting. Over the years, the painting gathered dust and dirt, darkening the scene until it appeared to be “a night watch” rather than a daytime militia activity. By the 18th century, this was how the painting was known, and to this day, we still call it “The Night Watch”.
While we’re exploring this painting’s past history, there are many misfortunes to report. Twice, “The Night Watch” has been attacked with a knife, first in 1911 and then in 1975. In the second attack, the assailant slashed 12 cuts into the canvas. Then, in 1990, a man sprayed — or at least attempted to spray — the painting with acid. Fortunately a guard intervened and only the varnish was damaged.
And here’s another fascinating little fact about this painting. Over 2 million visitors to the Netherlands see the painting each year at the Rijksmuseum, its present home, but it was originally painted for the Arquebusiers Guild Hall. It was a huge painting — Rembrandt’s largest — measuring approximately 12 x 14 feet. Did you notice, however, that I used the past tense? Yes, it was a huge canvas. In 1715, the painting was moved to the Amsterdam Town Hall, and guess what! It didn’t fit through the doors. So, guess what! Yep, the painting was “trimmed” on all four sides, reducing it to about 8 x 10 feet.
Indeed, poor Captain Cocq has been through a lot with his militia company, and now, thankfully, modern art restoration techniques, science, and even artificial intelligence have come together to repair the damage done to this masterpiece.
“Operation Night Watch” began several years ago in the summer of 2019. This was an extensive restoration project completed in public view, and please, click that link to read more about it. There’s far too much information to share in a single blog post here, and all of it is fascinating!
As for the “missing pieces” of the painting — which have never been found — the Rijksmuseum did have a small copy of the complete work. Then using AI technology to “mimic” Rembrandt’s style, those cut portions were recreated and added to the painting.
“The Night Watch” — a much easier title to remember than the original — is now back on display at the Rijksmuseum, in its full size, in its full glory. You can see the added pieces in this image:
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While I took a “fun” approach to this post and turned it into a bit of a game, art restoration is a very serious business, and art lovers owe these dedicated professionals our utmost gratitude. They work tirelessly and patiently to bring paintings from centuries past “back to life”, oftentimes uncovering fascinating histories about those works and how they were originally created.
LEARN MORE TOMORROW ABOUT
THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESSES INVOLVED
IN ART RESTORATION.
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