[ART] Rembrandt's Revolutionary Night Watch 🎨

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) is rightly considered to be the greatest master of the Dutch painters, and it's at the incomparable Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam that one of his magnum opi hangs. "The Night Watch", or "The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch" as the iconic painting was actually named in 1642, depicts the civic militia set up to guard the city of Amsterdam. The painting is colossal, 142.9 by 172.0 inches (365 cm x 437 cm), and its figures are almost life-size. It was even larger before the unfortunate trimming in 1715. All in all, there are now 26 characters visible in the picture.

The main characters are placed in the center of the painting; Captain Frans Banning Cocq with his red ribbon, and next to him lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch in his golden coat that almost seems fluorescent. It wasn't all that unusual to portray militia guards. Only in Amsterdam, fifty-seven depicted, and thus documented, companies have been preserved. The unusual rather lies in the way Rembrandt executed the painting. His unmatched ability to enthrall the spectator through the captivating way he gives light to an otherwise rather dark painting is phenomenal and for his time completely unique.

But what gained even more attention during Rembrandt's period, and what was considered to be completely revolutionary, was also how the artist approached the crowd. Compositionally, we see a crowd that doesn't behave like a militia guard should behave. The commanders come through as fully understanding their obligation, while the other guards behind them seem to be lost in confusion in the chaotic scene that plays out before marching off to one of the city's outposts. Rembrandt has literally caught them off guard, in the moment. What creates the unrivaled dynamic of the composition that to this day captivates its spectators and has made the painting one of the world's most famous, is that Rembrandt has taken the liberty to choose the moment when the men are depicted. The fact that some faces aren't even visible or are obscured by body parts or weapons was not received particularly well, especially by those who were affected. The documentation of the company was after all supposed to be an honorable and triumphant portrait of the brave men who participated.

But what might have caused the chaos behind the captain? If we look closely we can see a rifle barrel going off, just behind the yellow hat of lieutenant van Ruytenburch. Another central figure is the brightly lit little woman or girl, perhaps a dwarf, dressed in a magnificent golden gown. She carries in her belt a dead chicken, a purse and a drinking horn. The chicken might be a reference to the emblem of the company; a claw on a blue field.

Just before finishing the painting, Rembrandt's wealthy wife Saskia van Uylenburgh died in tuberculosis. The grief and loneliness contributed to a change in style. Both portraits and biblical motifs gained greater tenderness and intimacy. He became increasingly experimental and innovative, which resulted in a decreasing interest in his art. The former so-beloved artist was encumbered with debts and Rembrandt's extensive art collection was sold at auction together with his house. Little by little he got on his feet with the help of his mistress Hendrickje Stoffels and his son Titus. But when they both died before him, he was all alone. Instead, one of the greatest artistic geniuses of all time died in poverty without any other possessions than some paintbrushes and the clothes he wore.

If you want to study the painting in detail, without having to travel to Amsterdam, you can study this high resolution image.

 @SteemSwede

Sources:

Christian Tümpel (1977) Die Nachtwache – Legende und Wirklichkeit.
Rainer Hagen, Rose-Marie Hagen (2003) Meisterwerke im Detail.
Michael Bockemühl (2000)  Rembrandt, 1606-1669: The Mystery of the Revealed Form.
Gary Schwartz (1985) Rembrandt: His Life, His Paintings.