The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has made a remarkable discovery about one of the world's most famous paintings. New research reveals that the dog depicted in the lower right corner of Rembrandt van Rijn's masterpiece "The Night Watch" (1642) was based on a popular drawing from the 17th century. This finding emerged as part of the ongoing "Operation Night Watch," an extensive study and restoration project that has been taking place in a specially designed glass chamber within the museum's galleries since 2019.
The breakthrough came when Anne Lenders, curator of Operation Night Watch, visited an exhibition featuring works by Adriaen van de Venne at the Zeeuws Museum in Middelburg, the Netherlands. "When I saw the drawing in an exhibition, I immediately thought of the dog in The Night Watch," Lenders explained in a statement. "The dog's head, collar and pose have such a strong resemblance that it can only mean Rembrandt used this drawing as a source of inspiration. The follow-up research has confirmed this."
Lenders told the New York Times that while it remains unclear whether Rembrandt used the original van de Venne version or a copy, the master painter was definitely familiar with one of two sources. The original drawing served as the title page for Jacob Cats's 1620 book "Self-stryt" (Self-Conflict), while another engraving that copied van de Venne's dog was created by François Schillemans for a different book's title page. "But we know that he must have been familiar with one of the two," Lenders confirmed to the Times.
Operation Night Watch represents a collaborative effort bringing together scientists, restorers, curators, and experts from project partner AkzoNobel to maintain the painting in optimal condition for future generations. The multimillion-dollar restoration project is not only removing yellowed varnishes from "The Night Watch" but also employing cutting-edge technology to uncover hidden details. As part of this comprehensive analysis, researchers subjected the portion of the painting containing the dog to MA-XRF (macro X-ray fluorescence) analysis.
This advanced imaging technique revealed fascinating details about Rembrandt's creative process. The analysis discovered an under-painted sketch showing the dog with its right front leg more bent and its chest positioned closer to the ground, making it even more similar to van de Venne's original drawing. This evidence provides concrete proof of how Rembrandt adapted and modified his source material during the painting process.
The dog has long been considered a beloved but somewhat mysterious element of Rembrandt's composition, which primarily depicts members of a civic guard preparing for an evening patrol. A video produced by the Rijksmuseum, titled "Did Rembrandt steal a dog?", describes the animal as "a mysterious creature" and "a blur of fur," likely appearing tense from the noise of beating drums and firing muskets that dominate the scene. While the dog seems somewhat out of place in the military composition, it adds a compelling human touch to the grand historical painting.
Rijksmuseum General Director Taco Dibbits emphasized the significance of this discovery in understanding one of art history's most studied works. "It is remarkable that new discoveries are still being made about one of the most studied paintings in the world, almost 400 years after it was made," he stated. "This finding gives us yet more insight into Rembrandt's thought processes when creating this work." The revelation demonstrates how even the most thoroughly examined masterpieces can still yield new secrets when approached with modern technology and fresh perspectives.
