How The Night Watch Survived a Knife Attack

Rembrandt’s The Night Watch has stood the test of time for nearly 400 years, but its story isn’t without drama. This iconic painting has survived knife attacks, acid damage, and even being physically cut to fit a new location.

In 1975, a visitor slashed the painting with a bread knife, leaving deep gashes across the canvas. What followed was an extraordinary effort of restoration and resilience. Conservators at the Rijksmuseum treated the work like surgeons - stitching the canvas, applying new linen backing and carefully retouching damaged areas, all while documenting every step in a detailed conservation dossier.

Watch as Rijksmuseum experts Esther van Duijn, Annelies van Loon and Pieter Roelofs reveal how cutting-edge research and conservation techniques have helped heal The Night Watch over time. Learn how scientific research helps uncover hidden scars and why some of them reappear during restoration, a natural part of the process that ensures the painting’s long-term health.