[MR] BBC: Restoration for Rembrandt’s Night Watch

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble friends,

O.K., so it is slightly out of our period, but restoration work has begun
on Rembrandt's famous 1642 painting commonly known as "The Night Watch". I
hope we can all agree that this canvas is an honorary Scadian topic, as
just about everybody loves the painting, right down to the young woman with
the chicken (Captain Cocq's daughter).

Originally known by the ponderous title *Militia Company of District II
under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq*, also known as *The
Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch,* the
work is the centerpiece of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It depicts a
citizen militia company about to go on watch. Originally the canvas was
somewhat larger and incorporated two more figures, but was sadly cut down
in 1715. This was an insult to the memory of the men who were discarded,
especially because everyone in the painting had to pay to be included. That
is, except for Rembrandt, who is thought by some scholars to have sneakily
included himself in the background (supposedly peeking from the extreme
background between the flag bearer and the man in the shiny helmet). And
that chicken? Well the Captain's name, "Cocq", means "chicken", so the bird
is a symbolic mascot, and probably tasted pretty good too.

The restoration story is at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8jyrge3j1zo .

More about the painting is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Watch
.

No commentary on *The Night Watch* would be complete without a link to the
famous flash mob parody *Onze Helden Zijn Tureg!* ("Our Heroes Are Back")
that promoted the Rjkksmuseum's 2013 reopening:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6W2ZMpsxhg . This wonderful clip is
accompanied by the back-scene video about making the flash mob film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxPhRsl57dM  .  Enjoy them both!

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep Merry Rose relevant and in business.