Made for Amsterdam’s Arquebusiers Guild Hall, Rembrandt van Rijn’s 1642 oil painting is one of the earliest to portray a group in action.
A captain, dressed in black, is telling his lieutenant to start the company marching. And the guardsmen are moving into formation.
Rembrandt uses the light to focus on particular details, such as the captain’s gesturing hand and the young girl, a mascot, in the background.
The painting’s original name is Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq – but it became known as The Night Watch, in the 18th Century.
The artwork was coated with a dark varnish and accumulated dirt over the years, giving the false impression it depicts a night scene.
