A Deeper Look Inside The Painting

The night watcher is considered to be one of the most important paintings in the whole history of Art. Initially the painting had been titled “Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch”, but it was later changed to “Night Watch” due to the suspension critics had about the portrait. The name was given by other critics because of the dirt and layers of stain; it was difficult for them to tell whether the lighting Rembrandt had provided came from the sun or the moon. It wasn’t until later the portrait was lighted and a different meaning was brought about.

Significantly the pictures importance is different from what it appears because they aren’t agents, but allegories figures, and symbols that represent the art of musketeer. The main characters are Captain Banning Cocq and his Lieutenant, but there are also 17 other members in the background who are ready to take action. The Captain steps confidently forward with hand out to give the order to his Lieutenant and the barrel angled up from the captain’s shoulder with powdery smoke as the musketeers that appeared to be in a scuffle in the background. The powerful contrast of the light and shade add to the sense of movement. The sense of lighting in this painting represents Rembrandts logical view point, and from an esthetic view as well, lighting appeared to be very important to him, critics often referred to him as his own sun-god. The shadow cast by the captain’s hand on the lieutenant’s coat may suggest the sun angle of the sun is 45 degrees left and the shadow of the captains extended leg show a different angle. Although it seems as if the photo was painted outdoors, he synchronized the light-opening and closing the shutters in his studio-for his own purpose, which was to create an atmosphere that was combined with dreamlike and dramatic.

Also there was a woman who was dressed gorgeously sparkling in the front. It is said that this golden girl resembled Rembrandt’s wife, Saskia. But it is a possibility that she wasn’t able to pose because she died in June of 1642, the year the “Night Watch” was completed. The mood in the painting is a triumphant one, instead of making the characters altogether Rembrandt left each man standing on its own as if they were absorbing their own thoughts.