Page 21 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Amsterdam

Rijksmuseum ❮❮ 19

REMBRANDT AND THE NIGHT WATCH
Popular belief holds TOP 10
Rembrandt’s greatest EVENTS IN
painting, The Night REMBRANDT’S LIFE
Watch (1642), 1 Born in Leiden (1606)
responsible for his
change in fortune 2 Studies with Pieter
Lastman (1624)
from rich man to
pauper. In fact, it was 3 Receives first important
commission and marries
more a case of poor Saskia van Uylenburgh
personal financial (1634)
management than of 4 Reputation grows; buys
Self-Portrait, Rembrandt public dissatisfaction large house in Amsterdam
with the artist, (1639) – now the Museum
although it’s very likely that the militiamen Het Rembrandthuis
who commissioned the portrait would have 5 Titus, his only child to
been dismayed at the result. The Night Watch survive into adulthood, is
differs radically from other contemporary born (1641)
portraits of companies of civic guards, in 6 Saskia dies; The Night
which they are depicted seated, serious and Watch is completed (1642)
soberly dressed (see p32). Rembrandt, by 7 Hendrickje Stoffels
contrast, shows a tumult uous scene – the moves in (1649)
captain issuing orders to his lieutenant, the 8 Applies for bankruptcy
men taking up arms ready to march. This (1656)
huge painting was originally even larger, but 9 Titus and Hendrickje
it was drastically cut down in 1715, when it acquire the rights to his
was moved to the town hall, and tragically work
the other pieces of the masterpiece were lost. 10 Death of Titus (1668);
In 1975, the painting was slashed, but was in October the following
meticulously repaired. year, Rembrandt dies

The Night Watch by Rembrandt, was arguably the 17th-century Dutch
master’s greatest-ever work.

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