Chapter 1
Painting with theater and the magic of chiaroscuro
Chapter 2
The ultimate action portrait of the Night Watch
Chapter 3
Sculpting with thick paint and the secret of impasto
Chapter 4
The ultimate selfie diary of a Dutch master
YOUR GOAL
Master of Rembrandt and the art of the spotlight
Ch 2 · The ultimate action portrait of the Night Watch
suaz The Night Watch Painting
No dark of night! (Oh, no dark of night!) They're marching in the daytime sun! (Yeah, the sun!)
suaz The Night Watch
Cut, slashed, and sprayed with acid, they couldn't end its story, Rembrandt's masterpiece still shines in all its golden glory.
suaz Restorers in the 1940s stripped yellowed grime from the Militia Company of District II, exposing the hidden daylight scene.
BETA
suaz Guide the light and shadow to discover how Rembrandt made ordinary people look like royalty.
Fun Fact
Escape hatch: The Night Watch is so highly valued in the Netherlands that the Rijksmuseum has a specially designed trapdoor in the floor beneath it to slide the painting to safety in case of fire.
Glossary
chiaroscuro (noun)
The treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting. Rembrandt utilized this technique in 1642 to depict Amsterdam's civic guard in dynamic, dramatic motion.
The treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting. Rembrandt utilized this technique in 1642 to depict Amsterdam's civic guard in dynamic, dramatic motion.
Quiz
Why did generations of viewers mistakenly believe Rembrandt's The Night Watch was set at night?
Quiz
What is the actual, official name of the masterpiece commonly known as The Night Watch?
Quiz
How did Rembrandt's composition of The Night Watch differ from traditional group portraits of his era?
Quiz
What does the word Kloveniers, the name of the guild that commissioned The Night Watch, refer to?