Rembrandt's Night Watch
Night Watch is Rembrandt's most famous painting. This painting is a portrait of a group of men in the civic guard. The simple scene shown in this painting has been transformed by Rembrandt's skill with light and shadow, making it a work of art that has become an icon of the Dutch Golden Age. There is a lot going on in the painting and you can see the militia in the background "goofing off" as we might say today. The captain and general are painted at the front and are more prominent than the background characters, showing that they are the most important figures. Another important figure in this painting is the girl. This is shown by the light that surrounds her which is a stark contrast to her surroundings. The girl carries a chicken which is the symbol of these people. Another fun little fact about this painting is that Rembrandt painted his eye peeking through somewhere. Can you find it??
This painting is important because it is different from what a lot of Dutch painters were doing at the time. Many Dutch painters would be hired to paint groups of men that were a part of guilds or other organizations, but in their paintings the men were all very proper and dignified. In this work, Rembrandt went for the opposite. He shows the real life behind the men in this painting. This painting also takes a step away from more two dimensional art because Rembrandt was influenced by Van Eyke, who was painting people that really looked like people. Rembrandt followed suit and began to make his figures come to life, as we see in this artwork. This artwork has become a big part of art history and of culture due to Rembrandt's popularity and skill.
This painting contributes to Amsterdam's status as a cultural capital because it is such an important piece of art. People come from all over the world to go to the Rijksmuseum and see it. This brings people to Amsterdam and also to the museum which allows them to learn more about Amsterdam and its culture. This painting represents the best that the Dutch Golden Age had to offer and puts this city on the map as a place of artistic achievement. The Night Watch also continues to inspire people. It is such an important piece of art that a lot of time, money, and resources went into restoring it several years ago. This shows the city's dedication to their art and their cultural heritage.
One thing I liked about your post that made me think was when you said Rembrandt painted real people. I think this is consistent with the Renaissance, where instead of painting simply painting religious scenes or Greek Gods, he paints real people, specifically civic people. For Amsterdam as a cultural capital, Rembrandt’s The Night Watch mixes political power and artistic influence, two important elements of a city being a cultural capital.
ReplyDeleteI found the peeking eye! Haha. I love how you explain how Amsterdam uses Rembrandts Night Watch painting to boost its reputation as a cultural capital. By showcasing iconic masterpieces like The Night Watch, the city of Amsterdam attracts visitors worldwide to museums like the Rijksmuseum which allows for cultural exchange and appreciation. I also love how you talked about Amsterdam’s dedication to preserving The Night Watch because it demonstrates how important art is to them and their culture.
ReplyDeleteLily, I love that you chose Rembrandt’s Night Watch as your art choice for Amsterdam. That piece really stood out to me as well. I like how you not only described the focus of the painting but also what was happening in the background of the piece with the militia men goofing off and how Rembrandt was intentional in his paintings. Rembrandt definitely contributes to Amsterdam bring one of the cultural capitals of the world as he stands as an example of the Dutch Golden Age and the Night Watch is a perfect example of his work.
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ReplyDeleteLily, I loved what you said about men being depicted as "goofing off," because it really highlights the honesty in Rembrandt's "The Night Watch." I think this candidness is also evident in the style of realistic persons, which, as you mentioned, was rare for this painting's time. These two points mark an important change in Amsterdam as a cultural capital, because the art it produced has had a lasting impact on the world, coming directly from Amsterdam.
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