The Night Watch Dog Up Close

During Operation Night Watch, a surprising discovery was made: the barking dog in Rembrandt’s masterpiece turns out to be based on a drawing by Adriaen van de Venne from 1619. The the turn of the head and the collar match almost exactly. It shows how Rembrandt drew inspiration from existing drawings and then transformed them into his own style. See for yourself!

A new series from the Rijksmuseum

The six-part series The Night Watch: Every Inch a Story takes you behind the scenes of Rembrandt’s most famous painting. Six short episodes full of exciting discoveries and hidden details, with the groundbreaking restoration project Operation Night Watch as its central theme. Together with researchers and curators, you’ll discover how a nearly 400-year-old masterpiece continues to tell new stories.