The Night Watch

The history of the largest and most famous painting in the Netherlands With information and images from Operation Night Watch, the most extensive research and restoration project ever undertaken on Rembrandt’s masterpiece

The Night Watch (1642) by Rembrandt van Rijn is without doubt one of the most celebrated paintings in the world. Whereas seventeenth-century civic guard portraits were typically stiff, ceremonious, and firmly rooted in convention, Rembrandt infused his Amsterdam militiamen with a sense of striking dynamism. The captain issues an order to his lieutenant, the armed company shifts into formation, and the drummer seems on the verge of breaking into sound — the entire scene feels charged with movement. Through his nuanced command of light, Rembrandt highlighted essential narrative elements, from the captain’s authoritative gesture to the enigmatic, glowing girl in the background.

This book delves not only into Rembrandt’s artistic breakthroughs and the pivotal role of The Night Watch in the history of Dutch painting, but also into the painting’s eventful afterlife. It traces the remarkable journey through which the work gained its legendary status within the Rijksmuseum, survived turbulent times, and ultimately became the subject of Operation Night Watch — the museum’s most ambitious research and restoration project to date. The result is a captivating exploration of a masterpiece that outpaced its contemporaries by centuries and continues to inspire wonder in every generation of viewers.