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On this day in 1606, the Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draftsman Rembrandt van Rijn was born. He is one of the most amazing artists in the Western world, and we are delighted today – thanks to the Rijksmuseum, we can present his iconic work, The Night Watch.
This Rembrandt’s largest and most famous painting was created for one of the three headquarters of the Amsterdam Citizen Guard. These militia groups defend the city from attack. Rembrandt was the first to paint all the figures in action in the works of the Citizen Guard. The captain in black gave the order to go. The guards are forming. Rembrandt uses light to focus on specific details, such as the captain’s gesture and the young girl in the foreground. She is the team’s mascot. The name “Night Watch” originated very late, when it was believed that the painting represented a night scene.
More recently, the Rijksmuseum has highlighted the relationship between works in their collection and slavery. “Night Watch” has this connection: the Kloveniersdoelen of the Militia Guard, a building in Amsterdam where the work was created, the neighborhood of which is a gathering place for an African group. Some of them came to the city as servants, and some were sailors or political envoys.
PS We’ve prepared a list of “15 Things You Didn’t Know About The Night Watch” ; test it to see how many facts you know! ?
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379.5 × 453.5 cm
Dutch Golden Age Paintings
Rijksmuseum
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