AMSTELDAMS (AP) — To solve the dog’s difficulties dating back to the golden age of the Netherlands, they didn’t exactly need the cut-off detective work for an art detective in Amsterdam.
Anne Lenders, Curator of City Landmarks RijksmuseumOn Tuesday, it was more or less a coincidence that the bare dog from Rembrandt van Lysin’s famous “Night Watch” was a nearly identical copy of what is found in a 1619 pen and ink drawing by Dutch artist Adrien Van de Venet.
“I wasn’t looking for this, it was really unexpected,” the lender said in the glass room where “Night Watch” is undergoing a massive restoration.
She had visited the exhibition at the Zeeuws Museum in the southern Netherlands. My eyes fell upon a photograph of Van des Vennes’ dog printed in a book by the poet Jacob Cats. The original drawings, which were found to be part of Rijksmuseum’s own vast collection, were also on display.
“The similarity is so strong that I thought he (Rembrandt) must have used this at the first moment,” she added.
That’s when research began: Comparison of Van des Vennes and Rembrandt dogs. Their poses, even the collar they wear.
“The head rotates at exactly the same angle with its mouth slightly open… both dogs have long hair and ears that hang vertically,” the lender said.
In “Night Watch,” the dog adds tension to the dark corners of the crowded composition, squats near a drummer called Jacob Joris, just behind Li inside Willem van Luittenberkun, the iconic 1642 painting protagonist.
This discovery is the latest in a series of revelations that emerged over the years of projects. I’ll reconsider Using the latest technology, 379.5 x 453.5 cm (149.4 x 178.5 inches) canvas. “Operation Night Watch” began in 2019 with extensive research into paintings and continues restoration work, which is likely to take years to complete.
“Well, we tend to think it’s very well studied. We know everything about it,” said Taco Dibbits, director of Rijksmuseum. “But the great thing about great art is that you keep discovering things all the time.”
One thing Rijksmuseum couldn’t understand was the disagreement of experts between French or Dutch breeds, exactly what kind of dog it was. Perhaps two artists were using a slightly poetic license.
“We’re never going to come to a conclusion about which variety it is,” Divitz said. “But it’s definitely very much loved.”
