"The Night Watch" by Rembrandt van Rijn
Who is Rembrandt van Rijn?
From the summer period to now, the Dutch culture and history got my attention, even triggered me to learn Dutch. In the very beginning of my journey to learn Dutch, I had a chance to learn more about Dutch culture as well, which is quite fascinating. There are so many details and facts in this country which is one of the most powerful in marine, from it's historically well-based armada to the origination of "Rotterdam". With this empowerment, I started to search for the Dutch history in arts. This searching was an opportunity for me to meet with Rembrandt van Rijn, a famous Dutch painter. Rijn was born in 15th of July 1605 in a city called Leyda in the Netherlands. He started to be passionate about arts during his elementary school times. He was a student in a school which was giving lectures in Latin. With his unique taste in arts, Rembrandt gained huge importance, especially in the Dutch Golden Age era.
The Nightwatch ( "De Nachtwacht" ) by Rembrandt van Rijn
"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." -Thomas Merton
Rembrandt van Rijn is famous for his artwork which is called "The Nightwatch", because of his unique technique in shading and the size of the artwork. The original name of the artwork is "De Nachtwacht" in Dutch, and it is currently in Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The artwork made a huge voice when it was finished by Rembrandt in 1642. The brilliance which is lied under "The Nightwatch" relies on two major features. The first feature which is making the artwork famous is all about Rembrandt's technique in terms of lighting and shading. Usage of the shadows in "The Nightwatch" brings out the parts which are important and highlighted. In the artwork, Rembrandt left some parts lightened but some parts are left to be dark. This is a message related to which part is the main to give more attention. The highlighted parts are containing two men and a woman carrying a baby. According to some research, the man in black clothing with a red sash is the mayor of Amsterdam from the 17th century, which is known as Captain Frans Banninck Cocq. Cocq had a tremendous importance in terms of developments related to politics and economy in the Netherlands during his life. He had a degree in law, was a captain in "militia" after his return to Amsterdam, a merchant and one of the founders of "Dutch East Trading Company". In "The Nightwatch", another man which is highlighted is Cocq's lieutenant known as Willem van Ruytenburch. Ruytenburch is represented as wearing yellow clothing with a white sash, next to Frans Banninck Cocq. Both Cocq and Ruytenburch's representation in the artwork is completing the scene which Rijn wanted to give: representation of military. For being important characters in Dutch militia, they are highlighted by Rembrandt's usage of shading and lighting. Plus this fact, a woman who is carrying a baby in the background is also highlighted. According to my perspective, the reason to highlight her relies on giving a symbol of "prolificacy". If we get those three highlighted pieces in the artwork and create something "one", for me, the main message is the victory.
The second feature which makes "The Nightwatch" different is about the deepening. Rembrandt is making a deepening by creating the artwork with almost real-life size. The size of the painting is 363 cm x 437 cm. With the usage of colors and highlights, the size becomes more effective to create a feeling for the viewer as "becoming the part of it". The size of "The Nightwatch" is also effective to make features visible with more details, located in the artwork. This makes Rembrandt's artwork different and rises his name under the list of internationally known Dutch painters. The multitasking brain of him is, therefore, visible in "The Nightwatch".
More Information:
"De Nachtwacht"- Rembrandt van Rijn (1642)
Oil on Canvas
363 cm x 437 cm
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Video: The Complete Life of Rembrandt van Rijn
The Nightwatch ( "De Nachtwacht" ) by Rembrandt van Rijn
"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." -Thomas Merton
Rembrandt van Rijn is famous for his artwork which is called "The Nightwatch", because of his unique technique in shading and the size of the artwork. The original name of the artwork is "De Nachtwacht" in Dutch, and it is currently in Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The artwork made a huge voice when it was finished by Rembrandt in 1642. The brilliance which is lied under "The Nightwatch" relies on two major features. The first feature which is making the artwork famous is all about Rembrandt's technique in terms of lighting and shading. Usage of the shadows in "The Nightwatch" brings out the parts which are important and highlighted. In the artwork, Rembrandt left some parts lightened but some parts are left to be dark. This is a message related to which part is the main to give more attention. The highlighted parts are containing two men and a woman carrying a baby. According to some research, the man in black clothing with a red sash is the mayor of Amsterdam from the 17th century, which is known as Captain Frans Banninck Cocq. Cocq had a tremendous importance in terms of developments related to politics and economy in the Netherlands during his life. He had a degree in law, was a captain in "militia" after his return to Amsterdam, a merchant and one of the founders of "Dutch East Trading Company". In "The Nightwatch", another man which is highlighted is Cocq's lieutenant known as Willem van Ruytenburch. Ruytenburch is represented as wearing yellow clothing with a white sash, next to Frans Banninck Cocq. Both Cocq and Ruytenburch's representation in the artwork is completing the scene which Rijn wanted to give: representation of military. For being important characters in Dutch militia, they are highlighted by Rembrandt's usage of shading and lighting. Plus this fact, a woman who is carrying a baby in the background is also highlighted. According to my perspective, the reason to highlight her relies on giving a symbol of "prolificacy". If we get those three highlighted pieces in the artwork and create something "one", for me, the main message is the victory.
The second feature which makes "The Nightwatch" different is about the deepening. Rembrandt is making a deepening by creating the artwork with almost real-life size. The size of the painting is 363 cm x 437 cm. With the usage of colors and highlights, the size becomes more effective to create a feeling for the viewer as "becoming the part of it". The size of "The Nightwatch" is also effective to make features visible with more details, located in the artwork. This makes Rembrandt's artwork different and rises his name under the list of internationally known Dutch painters. The multitasking brain of him is, therefore, visible in "The Nightwatch".More Information:
"De Nachtwacht"- Rembrandt van Rijn (1642)
Oil on Canvas
363 cm x 437 cm
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Video: The Complete Life of Rembrandt van Rijn
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