Rembrandt: The Night Watch Has Been Attacked Three Times, Cut in 1715, and Reconstructed by AI at 44.8 Gigapixels

Last updated: May 2026 · By Stanislav Arnautov · Berlin

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669) was born in Leiden, the son of a miller, and died in Amsterdam in relative poverty, having been declared insolvent in 1656 and having watched his collection — paintings, prints, armour, exotic objects, musical instruments — sold at auction to pay his debts. In between these two facts, he produced approximately 300 paintings, 300 etchings, and 2,000 drawings, became the most celebrated painter in Amsterdam, and made the most attacked painting in Western art history. External references: Rijksmuseum Amsterdam — The Night Watch; Rijksmuseum — Night Watch Research and Restoration; National Gallery London — Rembrandt. DeckArts Berlin from ~$310.

Rembrandt's Biography: Leiden, Amsterdam, Insolvency

Rembrandt was born on 15 July 1606 in Leiden, the Netherlands, the ninth of ten children of Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn, a miller who operated a mill on the Rhine (hence the surname "van Rijn" — "of the Rhine"), and Neeltje Willemsdochter van Zuytbroeck, the daughter of a baker. He was one of the few children in the family sent to the Latin School and subsequently to the University of Leiden (1620), though he left university after a few months to train as a painter — first in Leiden under Jacob van Swanenburg, and then in Amsterdam in the workshop of Pieter Lastman (1615–1623, one of the leading history painters in Amsterdam, who had trained in Italy and brought the influence of Caravaggio's tenebrism to the Northern European tradition).

The Amsterdam career: Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam permanently around 1631–1632 and rapidly established himself as the most sought-after portrait painter in the city. His group portrait The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp (1632, Mauritshuis The Hague) was the commission that established his Amsterdam reputation. He married Saskia van Uylenburgh in 1634; she died in 1642, the year of the Night Watch. He had four children with Saskia; only one survived infancy — Titus, born 1641, who died in 1668, a year before Rembrandt himself.

The insolvency: Rembrandt was declared insolvent on 14 July 1656. The causes: excessive spending on art (he collected paintings, prints, armour, exotic objects, and curiosities with a compulsiveness that his income could not sustain); poor financial management; and the specific economic consequences of the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652–1654), which disrupted the Amsterdam art market. His collection was inventoried and sold at auction in 1657–1658. The auction prices were disappointing — the objects that Rembrandt had purchased at high prices realised far less when sold. He never recovered his financial position; his final years were spent in a rented house, working with his son Titus and his companion Hendrickje Stoffels (who had entered his household around 1649 and remained with him until her death in 1663) as nominal business partners, since Rembrandt's own name was legally excluded from business transactions after the insolvency.

Rembrandt died on 4 October 1669 in Amsterdam, aged 63. He was buried in a rented grave in the Westerkerk, Amsterdam. As The Guardian's Rembrandt coverage notes, the 2019 Rijksmuseum retrospective (marking the 350th anniversary of his death) confirmed his position as the most studied Dutch painter of any period.

The Night Watch: 363×437 cm, Three Attacks, One Cut

The Night Watch (De Nachtwacht, 1642, oil on canvas, 363 × 437 cm, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Gallery of Honour) is the largest, the most attacked, and the most technically complex painting in the Rijksmuseum's collection. It depicts a company of Amsterdam civic guardsmen — the militia of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq (dressed in black with a red sash) and his lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch (dressed in yellow) — in the act of marching out of their assembly hall.

The title "Night Watch" is misleading on two counts: it is not a night scene (the original composition shows a daylight scene with strong directional lighting; the current darkened appearance is the result of centuries of varnish accumulation, partially addressed in recent restorations) and it is not a watch or patrol (it depicts a militia company assembling to march, not a guard keeping watch). The painting's current title was given in the 18th century and has stuck.

The commission: the Night Watch was commissioned by the members of the militia company themselves, who each paid for their inclusion in the painting. Thirty-four people are depicted; each paid approximately 100 guilders for their position, proportional to their prominence in the composition. This is the most specific financial fact about the Night Watch: the painting was purchased in advance, by its own subjects, on the basis that they would be rendered more or less prominently according to their contribution. The commission documents survive in partial form.

The 1715 cut: The Night Watch was originally larger than its current dimensions. In 1715, when the painting was moved from the Kloveniersdoelen (the civic guard hall for which it was originally painted) to the Amsterdam Town Hall, it was cut on all four sides to fit the available wall space. The most significant cut was on the left side — approximately two figures (a drummer and a figure with a dog) were permanently removed from the composition. These figures are documented in a small-scale copy made before the cut by Gerrit Lundens (now in the National Gallery London). The 2021 AI reconstruction used the Lundens copy to reconstruct the missing section.

The Three Attacks: 1911, 1975, 1990

The Night Watch has been physically attacked three times — more than any other single painting in Western art history:

Attack 1 — 1911 (shoemaker, bread knife): On 13 January 1911, a man described as an unemployed shoemaker named Hugo entered the Rijksmuseum and attacked the Night Watch with a bread knife or cobbler's knife. He made several cuts in the canvas. The damage was repaired; the cuts were not considered severe.

Attack 2 — 1975 (teacher, bread knife, 12 cuts): On 14 September 1975, a schoolteacher named Wilhelmus de Rijk entered the Rijksmuseum and made 12 jagged cuts in the Night Watch with a bread knife. The cuts were approximately 20–30 cm long and required extensive restoration. De Rijk was subsequently committed to a psychiatric institution. The restoration of the 1975 damage took several months and is documented by the Rijksmuseum.

Attack 3 — 1990 (hydrochloric acid): On 6 April 1990, a man sprayed the Night Watch with hydrochloric acid concealed in a pump spray bottle. The acid was intercepted by a water spray system installed in the museum after the 1975 attack; the varnish absorbed the acid before it could reach the paint layer. The paint itself was not damaged. The security response time was approximately 30 seconds. The 1990 attack is the one that most specifically demonstrates both the vulnerability of large public paintings and the specific defensive systems that museums developed after the 1975 attack.

See: Rijksmuseum Night Watch Research and Restoration.

The 2021 AI Reconstruction: 44.8 Gigapixels

In 2021, the Rijksmuseum completed a major research and restoration project on the Night Watch that included the first complete digital reconstruction of the painting's original dimensions — including the section cut from the left side in 1715. The reconstruction used an artificial intelligence model trained on the Gerrit Lundens copy (National Gallery London) to reconstruct the missing section at the quality of the original painting.

The digital scan of the painting produced for the reconstruction is one of the largest and most detailed high-resolution scans of any painting in the world: approximately 44.8 gigapixels, comprising over 8,400 individual photographs taken with a 100-megapixel camera, stitched together into a single image. The scan is publicly accessible online through the Rijksmuseum's collection database, allowing any viewer to zoom from the full painting to individual brushstrokes at a level of detail not accessible in the physical gallery. The full documentation is available at rijksmuseum.nl.

Tenebrism: The Technical Programme

Tenebrism (from the Italian tenebroso, "dark" or "gloomy") is the painting technique of using extreme contrasts between areas of strong light and near-absolute darkness, with the light directed dramatically from a single source onto a small area of the composition. The technique was developed most specifically by Caravaggio in Rome in the 1590s–1600s and brought to Northern Europe through the influence of painters who had studied in Rome (the Utrecht Caravaggists: Hendrick ter Brugghen, Gerard van Honthorst, Dirck van Baburen) and through the influence of Pieter Lastman, in whose workshop Rembrandt trained.

Rembrandt's tenebrism is specific in its application: unlike Caravaggio's theatrical chiaroscuro (which typically uses a single strong lateral light source and near-absolute shadow on the opposite side of the composition), Rembrandt uses multiple interacting light sources, subtle transitions from light to shadow, and a specific warm amber quality to the light that reflects the warm tone of the lead-white and warm-pigment ground he typically used. The Night Watch's golden figures of Captain Cocq and his lieutenant advancing from the warm organic dark of the composition's background are the most specific and the most celebrated example of Rembrandt's specific tenebrism at large scale.

The Self-Portraits: 80–90 Works, One Life

Rembrandt produced approximately 80–90 self-portraits across his career — more than any other major Western artist. The self-portrait series is one of the most specifically documented life-studies in the history of painting: from the early self-portraits of the 1620s (the young man establishing himself; small, dark, intense) through the Amsterdam success period of the 1630s–1640s (the prosperous painter; larger, more elaborately costumed) through the post-insolvency late self-portraits of the 1650s–1660s (the old man; uncostumed, unidealized, staring directly at the viewer with the specific directness of a person who has stopped performing for his audience).

The late self-portraits are among the most discussed works in the Western tradition: the specific quality of the gaze in the Self-Portrait at the Age of 63 (1669, National Gallery London — one of Rembrandt's last works, painted in the year of his death) is widely regarded as the most psychologically direct confrontation between a painter and a viewer in the entire history of Western portraiture. At 63, insolvent, with his son Titus dead the previous year and Hendrickje dead six years earlier, Rembrandt painted himself looking directly at the viewer with an expression that combines fatigue, intelligence, and the specific equanimity of a person who has processed all the biographical facts and is no longer surprised by any of them.

Night Watch on a Skateboard Triptych

The DeckArts Rembrandt Night Watch triptych (~$310, ~70 cm wide) presents three vertical crops of the Night Watch's central composition: the left deck (Captain Cocq advancing, his shadow on the lieutenant's uniform), the centre deck (the composition's dramatic diagonal of advance), and the right deck (the golden lieutenant and the militia company's right section). The warm tenebrism's ochre-gold and warm brown from the absolute organic dark is the Night Watch's dominant visual event at any scale.

On forest green under 2700K warm LED: The canonical installation. Warm tenebrism from warm organic dark: the warm ochre-gold of the advancing figures advances from the forest green wall's organic dark field as the composition's warm primary event. The forest green wall corresponds specifically to the Night Watch's original exhibition environment — the Kloveniersdoelen's dark wood-panelled civic hall, lit by candles and indirect natural light. Under 2700K warm LED directed at the triptych: the warm ochre glows at maximum warm advance from the cool organic dark field. The most historically coherent domestic installation of the Night Watch available.

On warm charcoal under 2700K: The most architecturally neutral dark installation. The warm tenebrism advances from neutral dark rather than botanical organic dark; the ochre is slightly more isolated as a warm chromatic event against the grey-dark ground. The most minimalist dark-wall Night Watch installation.

Rembrandt Night Watch — Triptych (~$310)

Three physical attacks (1911, 1975, 1990) · 1715 cut removed two figures · 44.8 gigapixel AI reconstruction 2021 · forest green or warm charcoal · UV archival 100+ years · Canadian maple

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Room-by-Room Installation Guide

Living room primary wall (canonical): Triptych (~$310) on forest green at 155–165 cm centre, 15–20 cm above sofa. Directed 2700K ceiling track spot. The dark academia primary statement: three attacks, 1715 cut, 44.8 gigapixel AI reconstruction, warm tenebrism from organic dark above the living room's primary gathering space. See: Best Wall Art for a Living Room 2026.

Home library primary wall: Triptych (~$310) on forest green at 155–165 cm centre. The most eventful painting in Western art history above the most intellectually accumulated room in the house. See: Wall Art for a Home Library 2026.

Dining room primary wall: Triptych (~$310) on forest green or warm charcoal at 155–165 cm centre beside or above the dining table. The Night Watch was commissioned by 34 people who paid for their position in it — the original dining/social commission. See: Wall Art for a Dining Room 2026.

Dark academia bedroom above bed: Single deck of Night Watch (~$140) on forest green at 165–175 cm centre. The civic collective above the sleeping position: the warm tenebrism that the Dark Academia bedroom programme requires above the most private room. See: What Size Wall Art for a Bedroom.

FAQ

How many times has the Night Watch been attacked?

Three times. Attack 1 (13 January 1911): an unemployed shoemaker attacked the canvas with a bread knife; several cuts, repaired. Attack 2 (14 September 1975): a schoolteacher named Wilhelmus de Rijk made 12 jagged cuts with a bread knife, approximately 20–30 cm long; extensive restoration required; de Rijk committed to psychiatric institution. Attack 3 (6 April 1990): a man sprayed the painting with hydrochloric acid; the varnish absorbed the acid before it reached the paint layer; paint not damaged. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. DeckArts from ~$310.

What happened to the Night Watch in 1715?

In 1715, the Night Watch was moved from the Kloveniersdoelen (the civic guard hall for which it was originally painted, in 1642) to the Amsterdam Town Hall. To fit the available wall space, the painting was cut on all four sides — most significantly on the left side, where approximately two figures (a drummer and a companion figure) were permanently removed. The 2021 Rijksmuseum AI reconstruction used the Gerrit Lundens copy (National Gallery London) to restore the missing section digitally. Rijksmuseum — Night Watch Research and Restoration. DeckArts from ~$310.

Was Rembrandt successful?

In his Amsterdam career from approximately 1632 to the mid-1640s, Rembrandt was the most celebrated and most sought-after painter in Amsterdam. He was declared insolvent on 14 July 1656; his collection (paintings, prints, armour, exotic objects) was sold at auction in 1657–1658 at disappointing prices. His last years were spent in a rented house, legally excluded from business transactions, with his son Titus and companion Hendrickje Stoffels as nominal business partners. He died on 4 October 1669, aged 63, in relative poverty. National Gallery London. DeckArts from ~$310.

Related Guides

• Night Watch: Complete Art History Guide
• Wall Art for a Home Library 2026
• How to Style a Dark Academia Room
• How to Style an Eclectic Room with Classical Art 2026
• Forest Green Wall Art Ideas 2026

Article Summary

Rembrandt biography wall art: Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn born 15 July 1606 Leiden Netherlands (ninth of ten children; father Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn = miller on Rhine = surname; mother Neeltje Willemsdochter van Zuytbroeck = baker's daughter); Latin School + University Leiden 1620 (left after months to train as painter); training Jacob van Swanenburg Leiden then Pieter Lastman Amsterdam workshop 1615–1623 (Lastman trained in Italy, brought Caravaggio tenebrism to Northern European tradition). Amsterdam career: moved permanently 1631–1632; Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp (1632, Mauritshuis The Hague) = established reputation; married Saskia van Uylenburgh 1634 (died 1642, year of Night Watch); four children of whom only Titus survived infancy (born 1641, died 1668, one year before Rembrandt); Hendrickje Stoffels entered household c.1649 (companion, remained until death 1663). Insolvency: declared insolvent 14 July 1656 (causes: excessive art collecting/poor financial management/First Anglo-Dutch War 1652–1654 disrupted Amsterdam art market); collection inventoried and auctioned 1657–1658 at disappointing prices; legally excluded from business transactions; final years rented house with Titus + Hendrickje as nominal business partners; died 4 October 1669 Amsterdam aged 63, buried rented grave Westerkerk Amsterdam; Guardian 2019 Rijksmuseum 350th anniversary retrospective. Night Watch: De Nachtwacht 1642, oil on canvas, 363×437 cm, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Gallery of Honour; depicts Amsterdam civic militia of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq (black with red sash) + Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch (yellow) marching out of assembly hall; title misleading (not night scene = centuries of varnish darkening, partially addressed in restoration; not a watch = depicts militia assembling to march not guard keeping watch; 18th century posthumous title); commission: 34 people depicted, each paid ~100 guilders for inclusion proportional to compositional prominence (most specific financial fact); 1715 cut: moved from Kloveniersdoelen to Amsterdam Town Hall 1715, cut on all four sides to fit wall space, most significant = left side (approximately two figures: drummer + companion removed permanently; documented in Gerrit Lundens small-scale copy before cut, now National Gallery London). Three attacks: Attack 1 (13 January 1911, unemployed shoemaker Hugo, bread knife, several cuts, repaired); Attack 2 (14 September 1975, schoolteacher Wilhelmus de Rijk, bread knife, 12 jagged cuts ~20–30 cm, extensive restoration, de Rijk committed psychiatric institution); Attack 3 (6 April 1990, hydrochloric acid in pump spray bottle, water spray system installed after 1975 attack intercepted acid, varnish absorbed acid before reaching paint layer, paint not damaged, security response ~30 seconds); most attacked single painting in Western art history. 2021 AI reconstruction: major Rijksmuseum research + restoration project; complete digital reconstruction of original dimensions including 1715 left-side section; AI model trained on Lundens copy to reconstruct missing section; digital scan = ~44.8 gigapixels, 8,400+ photographs with 100-megapixel camera, stitched into single image; publicly accessible online via Rijksmuseum collection database; full documentation rijksmuseum.nl. Tenebrism: tenebroso = Italian "dark/gloomy"; extreme contrast between strong light and near-absolute darkness, dramatic single-source light; developed by Caravaggio Rome 1590s–1600s; brought to Northern Europe through Utrecht Caravaggists (ter Brugghen/van Honthorst/van Baburen) + Pieter Lastman (Rembrandt's master); Rembrandt's tenebrism = multiple interacting light sources, subtle transitions, specific warm amber quality (lead-white + warm-pigment ground); Night Watch = most specific large-scale example. Self-portraits: ~80–90 self-portraits = most by any major Western artist; life-study from 1620s (establishing young man, small dark intense) through 1630s–1640s prosperity (larger, elaborately costumed) through post-insolvency 1650s–1660s late portraits (old man, uncostumed, unidealized, direct gaze of person who has stopped performing); Self-Portrait at the Age of 63 (1669, National Gallery London, one of last works, year of death) = most discussed for specific psychological directness of gaze (fatigue + intelligence + equanimity of person who has processed all biographical facts and is no longer surprised). On deck triptych: warm tenebrism ochre-gold from absolute organic dark; forest green 2700K (warm ochre from forest green dark = historically coherent, corresponds to Kloveniersdoelen candlelit civic hall original environment); warm charcoal 2700K (most minimalist dark-wall installation). Installation: living room primary wall (canonical dark academia primary statement); home library (most eventful painting above most intellectually accumulated room); dining room (originally commissioned by 34 people who paid for their position = original dining/social commission); dark academia bedroom single deck. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam (2 links) + National Gallery London + Guardian Rembrandt references. DeckArts from ~$310. Canadian maple. UV archival 100+ years. Berlin. 30-day return.

About the Author

Stanislav Arnautov is the founder of DeckArts and a creative director from Ukraine based in Berlin.