The Nightwatch Rembrandt van Rijn Painting Sale

Year: 1642
Type: Oil painting on canvas
Dimensions: 363 cm × 437 cm (142.9 in × 172.0 in)
Location: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq, also known as The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch, but commonly referred to as The Night Watch (Dutch: De Nachtwacht), is a 1642 painting by Rembrandt van Rijn. It is in the collection of the Amsterdam Museum but is prominently displayed in the Rijksmuseum as the best known painting in its collection. The Night Watch is one of the most famous Dutch Golden Age paintings and is window 16 in the Canon of Amsterdam.

The painting was commissioned (around 1639) by Captain Banning Cocq and seventeen members of his Kloveniers (civic militia guards), not landscape painting. Eighteen names appear on a shield, painted circa 1715, in the centre right background, as the hired drummer was added to the painting for free. A total of 34 characters appear in the painting. Rembrandt was paid 1,600 guilders for the painting (each person paid one hundred), a large sum at the time. This was one of a series of seven similar artworks paintings of the militiamen (Dutch: 'Schuttersstuk') commissioned during that time from various artists.

In 1942, a company commander and 16 militia soldiers under his leadership paid 100 shields each to ask Rembrandt to paint a group portrait for them.Rembrandt to draw a group picture of them. Rembrandt designed a scene supposed that the 16 solders are in command of patrol. They are preparing respectively. This is the origination of his conception in his later art Night Watch, and actually the scene depicted in the picture is in daytime. In this painting, the painter adopted the method of chiaroscuro to shape the figure by light. The abundant layers in the frame made it a masterpiece. When the The Nightwatch was taken back, the solders found it too big to hang in the hall, so they cut the margins off, which broke the original balance. The hall was warmed by burning charcoal, so that the painting was covered by a heavy layer of coal ash and looked gloom. Since the dark appearance made people mistake the scene in daytime for at night, they named it The Night Watch.

A persistent misconception is that Rembrandt's decline in popularity was due to a negative public reception of the painting. The myth has even made its way into modern advertising; in 1967, KLM featured the painting in an advertisement which said, "See Night Watch, Rembrandt's spectacular 'failure' (that caused him to be) hooted... down the road to bankruptcy." The myth has no reasonable origin as there is no record of criticism of the painting in Rembrandt's lifetime, and Captain Cocq even commissioned a watercolor of it for his personal album.

It is more likely that the decline in the artist's popularity was due not to reaction to any one painting but to a broader change in taste. During the 1640s wealthy patrons began to prefer the bright colors and graceful manner that had been initiated by such painters as the Flemish portraitist Anthony van Dyck.

Rembrandt van Rijn was a Dutch painter, printmaker and draughtsman. He excelled at multiple styles rather than concentrating on a singular one, and is a prime contributor to the Dutch Golden Age. His success started out with his painting portraits and then grew into something special. While his career skyrocketed, Rembrandt was as financially successful as other great painters. He was the most in demand Dutch artist of the period, and mentored a lot of young painters that were looking to make a name for themselves. Rembrandt night watch was a big deal at the time, proving that he was a name to be remembered.

The Night Watch is a 1642 Dutch Golden Age painting that is known by many different names as Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, including The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch, and also by Da Nachtwacht. It has been showcased all around the world as a premiere look into the history of Rembrandt van Rijn and his remarkable skill at capturing moments on canvas. The imposing size of the night watch has also gained a lot of attention, as it stands out among the rest of the paintings in the world. Even among the elite works by Rembrandt, this is the one that gets the most attention. Rembrandt night watch is one of the first military style paintings to show the figures in motion as Liberty Leading the People. Usually this style of painting would should them in a static pose, so it was a step forward in that direction. Led by Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant William van Ruytenburch, the painting shows the company in the middle of a campaign. But more importantly the people in the campaign consist of men, women and double meanings based on their position. The night watch is a large puzzle that begs to be solved by anyone that views it. People often describe the size of the painting incredible, with a size of 11.91 ft. x 14.34 ft. The painting is also a good example of chiaroscuro and how to apply the technique to painting, even in the current modern era for edward hopper, diego rivera and frida kahlo. A good reason why the night watch is so large has to do with its original purpose as a continuous panel series. Rembrandt was one of six artists hired to create the panel, and if it had stayed with its original purpose it would have been a remarkable interior piece. In the middle of the project, Rembrandt would ultimately make changes that made the painting better as a standalone production rather than a part of the panel series.

Rembrandt night watch shows off a specific light and shadow technique called tenebrism that's different with works by rene magritte. The technique has some similarities to chiaroscuro, and has an effective way of blending light and dark. It was used the most during the Baroque period, although many artists would incorporate it into their paintings even years afterwards. This is one of the most effective ways to add drama to a painting, and since the night watch follows a military story in motion, this was the perfect time to use tenebrism. Currently the painting belongs to the Amsterdam museum as part of their collection including works by salvador dali and pablo picasso, but is on permanent loan to Rijksmuseum. Locally it is a big deal, and is featured in the Canon of Amsterdam as one of the fifty subjects. Window #16 belongs to the night watch, and is considered a vital part of Amsterdam history. Residents did not include the painting in their list of changes, proving just how rich in culture the work was with the locals. Representing the same year it was created, there is a six year gap before the next window on the list is even mentioned at the #17 spot. Rembrandt’s masterpiece has gone through multiple changes since it was completed as jack vettriano and tamara de lempicka. The first was when it was moved to the Amsterdam Town Hall in 1715, where the painting was trimmed on all four sides. It was a practice that had been done to many paintings before the 19th century, but one that altered the night watch significantly. As a result, on the left side of the painting two key characters were cut out. The top and the right side also suffered smaller fates, although no characters went missing with those cuts.

By today’s standards Rembrandt night watch is considered priceless, and will never be sold. It reached elite status faster than other oil paintings for sale with the same priceless value, and that has a lot to do with its cultural status in the country. Originally Rembrandt was paid 1,600 guilders on its commission in 1639 to paint 34 characters, with each person to appear in the painting paying 100 guilders as a fee. For the current time period this was a lot of money, and it showed just how powerful the reputation of Rembrant was in his prime. Before it landed in an official home, the night watch could be found in Groote Zaal, also known as Amsterdam's Kloveniersdoelen. The next move came in 1715 where it was cut down so that it could fit in Amsterdam Town Hall. The affects were lasting, and the painting hasn’t been the same since. During Napoleon’s reign, he occupied the Amsterdam Town Hall at one point, forcing yet another move for the night watch, that's different with Van Gogh Self Portrait and Monet Water Lilies. Trippenhuis of the family Trip was its location during that brief period. The painting had one more move before it ended up in the newly built Rijksmuseum in 1885, officially ending its journey.

Because of the popularity of the painting, it has been the target of many individuals looking to cause a scene. In 1911 a man used a shoemaker’s knife to slash the painting. Then again in 1975 a former school teacher had a go at it, this time slashing it with a bread knife. It took four years to restore the night watch, but the damage was done, and there is still evidence of the slashes, worse than The Scream or Starry Night Van Gogh. The last attempt was in 1990 when a passerby sprayed acid onto it, but only managed to damage the varnish layer of the painting. With all of the attention it attracts with these acts of defiance, the security has become tighter around protecting it. When Rijksmuseum underwent a ten year renovation, upon its reopening in 2013 the museum centered on its greatest item, Rembrandt night watch. The beloved painting has even had an organized flash mob dedicated to it in a shopping mall. During 1934, Rijksmuseum even installed a trap door for the painting in case of an emergency. For buyers that are interested in reproductions, they can see what the untouched Rembrandt night watch and Picasso Guernica and Melting Clocks looks like thanks to a copy made by Rembrandt-Night-Watch.org, which is proudly displayed at the National Gallery in London. Even viewers that have fallen in love with the original painting feel it is necessary to pay their proper respects by looking at the 17th century copy by Lundens. Part of the cultural impact of the night watch was not only the changes, but the clues Rembrandt left with his visual cues from the original work. There are a lot of stories surrounding the painting like Persistence Of Memory and The Birth of Venus, its creation and even the people involved with it. A little known fact about Rembrandt night watch is that he never received his commission for the painting, one that would go down in history as the most famous piece of art in the country.

Some of the new enhancements that have been added to the night watch also shield it from harm. LED illumination was added in 2011, a big deal since it had to deal with the complex color palette of the painting. By using a color temperature of 3,200 kelvin, the museum can provide proper light for the painting as works by henri matisse and marc chagall while getting rid of heat and UV radiation that could damage the painting. Outside of the country Rembrandt night watch has made a name for itself, and has become the subject of multiple representations by artists. Alexander Taratynov paid homage to the original with his bronze-cast representation. It was on display from 2006-2009 in Rembrandtplein before going on a world tour in other locations. The representation would return, where it was given an official home in the country alongside Rembrandt’s statue as toperfect.com reviews & complaints. At the Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery there is a full sized replica of the painting that was donated by its founder Bartlett Arkell. And of course there are the reproductions of the night watch that are sought after by collectors who want their own version. All of this acclaim and recognition is directed at Rembrandt, a famous artist that created over 600 Rembrandt paintings through his storied career. The night watch had such an impact on his career that it is easy to forget just how talented he was before creating it. With the fine-tuned techniques he applied to the painting, the genius of Rembrandt was on full display for the world to see. Rembrandt night watch has become a true tradition for the locals, and a great inspiration for admirers of art history.