Of all Dutch paintings, the single most highly revered work has also been the most attacked, damaged, and misunderstood. Trimmed significantly from its original size, damaged three times by art vandals, and misnamed because dirt and decayed varnish darkened its colors, Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” survives today as one of the art world’s most celebrated comeback stories.
The painting’s many cutting-edge restorations have, 350 years later, granted its millions of annual visitors a fresh look at its original conception. Despite centuries of analysis and scrutiny, some of the mysteries and contested interpretations behind his enigmatic design have also survived.
