Museum starts restoration of Rembrandt masterpiece
TheNightWatch AMSTERDAM’s famed Rijksmuseum on Monday began the biggest ever restoration of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, erecting a huge glass cage around the painting so the public can see the work carried out live.
The multi-million-dollar overhaul of the giant 1642 masterpiece, one of the world’s most famous paintings, were also streamed online for “everyone in the world” to see.
Dubbed “Operation Night Watch”, the project is the “largest and most comprehensive research on Rembrandt’s masterpiece in history”, the museum said in a statement.
“Operation Night Watch aims to preserve the painting optimally for the future and takes place in front of the public in a specially designed glass room.”
Rembrandt Van Rijn was commissioned by t he mayor a nd leader of t he c iv ic g ua rd of A msterda m, Fra ns Ba n n i nck Cocq, to paint the picture of the officers and other members of t he so-c a l led “Nig ht Watch” militia.
Experts say the groundbreaking 3m by 4m picture is the first of its kind to show such a group in motion, rather than in static poses, and features the interplay of light and shadow that the Dutch master is famed for.
Over the last three centuries Rembrandt’s brooding painting has endured travails including an escape from the Nazis, losing large chunks from each side during a move, and three attacks by vandals.
T he la st major restor at ion work was carried out 40 years ago a f ter a menta l ly i l l man slashed it wit h a k nife, and it is now housed in its own specia l room in the Rijksmuseum.
But experts have recently noticed changes to the painting, with a white haze appearing on some parts, especially in the area around the knife damage, where it is bleaching out the figure of a small dog.
The museum wants to “understand how the changes are happening and the best way to restore it”, director Taco Dibbits said when he unveiled the project in October.
E x per t s w i l l e x a mi ne t he painting using high-resolution photog r aphy a nd c omputer analysis of ever y layer including v a r n i s h, pa i nt a nd c a nv a s before deciding on t he best restoration techniques.
The work will then take place in a glass case designed by French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who was behind revamps of both the Rijksmuseum and the Louvre gallery in Paris.
“This resea rch a nd restoration will be carried out wit h t he world watching . . . so t hat ever yone in t he world, no matter where they are, can see,” Dibbits added.