This article was last updated on November 12, 2024
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Restoration of Rembrandt’s masterpiece The Night Watch has begun in the Rijksmuseum
Restorers have started removing the old layer of varnish from the painting The Night Watch in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The Rijksmuseum announces that the second part of the restoration of Rembrandt’s best-known work has started after five years of preliminary research. By removing the old layer of varnish, the museum wants to make the masterpiece future-proof.
Special absorbent cloth
Eight restorers remove the varnish with a special absorbent cloth. The layer was applied during a restoration in 1975 and 1976. Any older remaining varnish remains are then carefully removed with a cotton swab and solvent.
This is done under a microscope. The restoration takes place in a room specially equipped for this purpose. Behind a glass wall, visitors to the museum can see from a distance how Rembrandt’s masterpiece is being renovated.
According to the museum, scientific research and tests have been carried out in advance to arrive at the best restoration options. A team of restorers, conservators and scientists has studied The Night Watch in recent years using AI, among other things.
Technology never seen before
Operation Night Watch, as the restoration is called, started in 2019. The project ran for almost a year delay due to the corona pandemic. During preliminary research, scientists discovered that Rembrandt used a previously undiscovered technique to protect his 1642 painting against moisture.
The painter used lead-based oil that he applied to the canvas under the base layer. He did this because The Night Watch ended up hanging against the outside wall of the Kloveniersdoelen in Amsterdam, where it was damp.
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