The Night Watch

About The Night Watch

Rembrandt completed The Night Watch in 1642 as a group portrait of an Amsterdam civic guard company. Instead of arranging every sitter in a static row, he created an active scene with gestures, weapons and dramatic light. The familiar short title is later than the painting. The Rijksmuseum identifies the captain's gesture and the brightly lit girl as key details.

Look closely

Start with the captain in black and his lieutenant in yellow, then follow the light toward the girl behind them. Look for figures preparing, loading and handling weapons.

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