Preserving the world’s memory by paintings’ restorations has heightened the interest of art aficionados over time. One of the most significant restorations of this year, also the biggest ever research and restoration project devoted to Rembrandt’s masterpiece is the iconic The Night Watch that began on November 12, 2024. The most compelling part of this restoration is that visitors can follow the process live in the Night Watch Gallery where the work is done in a see-through glass chamber.
The work has only been made possible after a prolonged five years of intensive research and re-stretching of the painting. A team of eight Rijksmuseum conservators removed the varnish from The Night Watch, thereby beginning the second phase of Operation Night Watch. Taco Dibbits, Director of the Rijksmuseum expressed on this event,
“The start of the restoration phase is filled with anticipation: removing the varnish will expose the eventful history of The Night Watch, and it will be a truly unique experience for the visiting public to be able to follow the process from so close by.”
Operation Night Watch is the most significant event, where a large team of conservators, curators, scientists, and other specialists studied the artwork using some of the most advanced technologies from digital imaging to scientific and technical studies, and from computer science to artificial intelligence. Through these processes, the painting’s condition and the artist’s way of working were easily understood, leading to the beginning of this conservation. The team collaborating on this project includes experts from the Rijksmuseum’s main partner for this project, AkzoNobel, as well as the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE), Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Amsterdam University Medical Centre (AUMC), the University of Antwerp (UA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.
The conservators are using a special tissue to remove the varnish layers from the 1975-76 restoration. Using a solvent, conservators apply tissue to The Night Watch for a short, limited time. Solubilized varnish is absorbed by the tissue. Then, with cotton swabs, they carefully remove any remnants of even older varnish. Scientists have spent years researching this technique and applying it to other paintings as well as testing it on The Night Watch. Through this project, the small dog in the Night Watch which has begun to disappear will have its glace back.
Operation Night Watch is made possible by The Bennink Foundation, C.L. de Carvalho-Heineken, PACCAR Foundation, Piet van der Slikke & Sandra Swelheim, American Express Foundation, Familie De Rooij, Het AutoBinck Fonds, TBRM Engineering Solutions, Dina & Kjell Johnsen, Familie D. Ermia, Familie M. van Poecke, Bruker Nano Analytics, Henry M. Holterman Fonds, Irma Theodora Fonds, Luca Fonds, Piek-den Hartog Fonds, Stichting Zabawas, Cevat Fonds, Johanna Kast-Michel Fonds, Marjorie & Jeffrey A. Rosen, Stichting Thurkowfonds, Familie Van Ogtrop Fonds, FedEx Express, Airbnb, NICAS, the Night Watch Fund, the City of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Museum.
Featured Image: Restoration of Rembrandt’s Night Watch; Rijksmuseum.
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