The Night Watch
Exploring a Dutch icon
One of the most important genres that flourished in 17th-century Dutch art was that of portraiture. Together with history painting, it is the oldest autonomous genre in art. In the Netherlands, its origins can be traced to the work of the Flemish Primitives of the 15th century. Within the genre of portraiture, we not only find paintings of individuals, but also of groups. And in the latter is where renowned artist Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 - 1669) excelled and left his mark with what can rightfully be called the icon of Dutch Golden Age painting – The Night Watch.
After reading this post, you will gain a better understanding — and discover some very surprising facts — about one of the most renowned paintings in history.
History of group portraits
For the more than two million people who pass through the doors of the Rijksmuseum annually, The Night Watch will probably become the main highlight of their visit. The painting has been on display at the museum since its opening in 1885, and it is even housed in a specially designed Gallery of Honor. But what is it precisely that makes this impressive work (both in size and style) so unique? In order to understand this, the history of group portraiture must be taken into consideration.
The tradition of group portraits started in the 16th century with commissions by brotherhoods, local authorities such as civic militias, and government bodies. At first, these paintings were static and rigid. Artists gave equal prominence to each individual by lining them up in a row, resulting in nothing more than a monotonous composition of separate portraits. A good example of this is the Twelve Members of the Haarlem Brotherhood of Jerusalem Pilgrims, painted by Jan van Scorel (ca. 1528). Dutch painter and theorist, Samuel van Hoogstraten, later remarked that in these paintings, it appeared as though all of the figures could easily be beheaded with the single strike of a sword.
An example of an early static group portrait: Jan van Scorel’s Twelve Members of the Haarlem Brotherhood of Jerusalem Pilgrims (ca. 1528), Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem.
Toward the end of the century, though, a new development was noted. The stiff tradition of arranging heads side by side gave way to a livelier composition in which individuals were placed around a table enjoying a banquet. Still, there was not much unity to these compositions, except for the fact that the subjects were so similar, they almost looked related.
That all changed when Haarlem painter Frans Hals (1581 - 1666) – known to render the individual character of his subjects and even make them appear as though they were speaking – went one step further than his predecessors with his militia piece The Officers of the St. Jorisdoelen (1616). Here, Hals not only brought the characters to life, but he also united them with the sharing of the meal and the use of sweeping diagonals created by the red sashes they are pictured wearing.
Just like Rembrandt, Frans Hals managed to bring group portraits to life, albeit in a distinctly less theatrical way. The Officers of the St. Jorisdoelen (1616) hangs at the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem.
The real innovator in group portraiture
It was Rembrandt van Rijn, however, who in 1642 really broke with tradition by spectacularly transforming group portraiture with a painting that exhibited unity along with unprecedented drama, movement and dynamism. That painting was the Militia Company of District II Under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq, better known as ‘The Night Watch’ – a title based on a misinterpretation by late 18th-century critics who erroneously thought it depicted a night scene. It wasn’t until the 1940s, when layers of the painting were stripped away, that its daytime setting became evident.
For the Dutch, the painting remains an object which must be seen, or better said, experienced, at least once. For the rest of the world, it is the greatest icon of Dutch painting.
Deciphering the Night Watch
Those who come face to face with the masterpiece for the first time may feel somewhat overwhelmed. Measuring 379.5 x 453.5 cm and weighing 337 kilos, it is Rembrandt’s largest work; one which has been through a very eventful existence. From being cropped in the early 18th century in order to fit through the doors of the Dam Palace, to being slashed with a knife, sprayed with water and doused with acid in the 20th century.