Art-Rembrandt-The Night Watch TB

Please drop this item in rural OR Premium Member Only caches.  Do not place it in an urban cache or abandon it at a caching event.  Transport the bug in the original plastic bag for as long as the bag lasts; the bag keeps the trackable clean and prevents tangling with other items.  Otherwise, take the travel bug anywhere you wish.  No permission is needed to leave the U.S.

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Probably Rembrandt's most famous painting (finished in 1642) was given its erroneous title “The Night Watch” in the early 19th century.   The title referred to the subdued lighting and led art critics to seek all manner of hidden mysteries in the painting.  The original title, recorded in the still extant family chronicle of Captain Banning Cocq, together with a sketch of the painting, sounds rather dry by comparison: "Sketch of the painting from the Great Hall of Cleveniers Doelen, in which the young Heer van Purmerlandt (Banning Cocq), as captain, orders his lieutenant, the Heer van Vlaerderdingen (Willem van Ruytenburch), to march the company out."

The painting is renowned for three characteristics: its colossal size (11.91 ft × 14.34 ft), the effective use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), and the perception of motion in what would have traditionally been a static military portrait.

It was common at the time for officers of the various guilds, societies and militia units to sit for group portraits soon after their election.  A freqent arrangement was for persons to be seated in chairs with others standing behind, all facing the artist.  Or, if few in number, they might be seated around a table.  Typically, all persons in the portrait would be given equal treatment and the commission the to artist would be spilt among the sitters.  This painting is a conspicuous departure from that formula.  This painting was also controversial in that some who gave Rembrandt the commission would not pay their share because their faces were not plainly seen.  This work which alone was enough to make him immortal, was the very last commission that any of the guilds were willing to give the artist, because he would not make their portraits beautiful or fine looking, to the disadvantage of the whole picture.  This huge work hangs in its own room in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.