Research and restoration on a famous painting from 17th-century artist Rembrandt van Rijn began Monday in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum.
The Night Watch, which is about 15 feet wide and painted in 1642, features a civil militia and is known for its size and dramatic lighting. The iconic work of art will be undergoing a multiyear restoration, its most extensive to date.
Researchers will be working in a specially designed glass chamber and will begin the process by creating a composite scan of the 700-pound painting by merging 12,000 separate images in conjunction with X-ray technology that will look through the surface of painting.
Petria Noble, head of paintings conservation at the museum, told the Associated Press that a macro X-ray fluorescence scanner would begin taking pictures Monday.
“Each type of technique will give us some information that we then need to put together and interpret all the information together and what that means for the painting,” Noble said.
The museum’s general director, Taco Dibbits, explained that the research would allow for new knowledge about Rembrandt, the painting, and its history.
“This is the first time that we can actually make a full body scan and that we can discover which pigments he used not only through making little samples but with scanning the entire surface,” Dibbits said. “We don’t know much about how Rembrandt made this painting. And now we hope to discover more and really get a glimpse into the kitchen of the artist.”
Those interested can watch the restoration live on the museum’s website.
