Rembrandt used a lead-containing layer to protect The Night Watch from moisture
Publication date: 14 December 2023 - 14:50
New research within Operation Night Watch has revealed that Rembrandt impregnated the canvas for his famous 1642 militia painting The Night Watch with a lead-containing substance even before applying the first ground layer. Such lead-based impregnation has never before been observed with Rembrandt or his contemporaries. The discovery underlines Rembrandt's inventive way of working, in which he did not shy away from using new techniques.
Protective Layer
Rembrandt knew that his painting would hang on the inner side of the (damp) outer wall of the large hall of the Kloveniersdoelen in Amsterdam. A lead-rich oil impregnation provides better protection against moisture and mold than the glue layer typically applied on canvasses in the seventeenth century.
Multiple Techniques
The discovery was made using multiple techniques. A paint sample was examined at the PETRA III synchrotron radiation source at DESY in Hamburg, revealing the presence of a lead-containing layer beneath the paint. The Night Watch was also analyzed using non-invasive imaging techniques in the Gallery of Honour at the Rijksmuseum, confirming the presence of the lead layer.
Semi-Circular Brushstrokes
The lead map obtained with the Macro-XRF scanner shows that this layer was applied with large semi-circular brushstrokes. Even an imprint of the original stretcher on which the canvas was mounted when the preparation layers were applied is visible in the lead distribution map.
Research
This research is part of Operation Night Watch and is conducted in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam, the University of Utrecht, the University of Antwerp, and DESY. It is also part of the research project 3D Understanding of Degradation Products in Paintings by the Netherlands Institute for Conservation+Art+Science+ (NICAS), funded by NWO. The study is published today in Science Advances
Operation Night Watch
Operation Night Watch is the biggest and most wide-ranging research project in the history of Rembrandt’s masterpiece. Its aim is to conserve the painting for the future in the most optimal way possible. Work started in summer 2019, and takes place in a specially designed, transparent glass chamber, making it possible for the visiting public to follow the process.
Partnerships
For Operation Night Watch, the Rijksmuseum is working with experts from the project’s main partner AkzoNobel, the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE), Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Amsterdam University Medical Centres (AUMC), Antwerp University (UA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.
AkzoNobel is the main partner of Operation Night Watch.
Operation Night Watch is made possible by The Bennink Foundation, C.L. de Carvalho-Heineken, PACCAR Foundation, Piet van der Slikke & Sandra Swelheim, American Express Foundation, Familie De Rooij, Het AutoBinck Fonds, TBRM Engineering Solutions, Dina & Kjell Johnsen, Familie D. Ermia, Familie M. van Poecke, Bruker Nano Analytics, Henry M. Holterman Fonds, Irma Theodora Fonds, Luca Fonds, Piek-den Hartog Fonds, Stichting Zabawas, Cevat Fonds, Johanna Kast-Michel Fonds, Marjorie & Jeffrey A. Rosen, Stichting Thurkowfonds, Familie Van Ogtrop Fonds, FedEx Express, Airbnb, NICAS, the Night Watch Fund, the City of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Museum.
Vital support
The Rijksmuseum is grateful for all forms of support it receives. It is clear that government subsidies, corporate contributions and support from funds, as well as donations, legacies and Friends are, and will remain, essential to the Rijksmuseum.
