One of the world's best-known paintings, Rembrandt's Night Watch, can be seen afresh thanks to innovative LED lighting that helps bring out its rich hues and manifold details.
The 17th-century canvas is one of the most popular objects in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum. This week innovative LED lighting was installed, optimising the colour rendering of the painting. The museum's director Wim Pijbes said that the painting now shows more colour and more depth, with more details being visible in the background.
The huge painting, measuring 4.38 by 3.63 metres, was created by Rembrandt between 1639 and 1642. He did not give it the title Night Watch, it was originally called "The Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Leutenant Willem van Ruytenburg preparing to deploy". People later dubbed it the Night Watch because it appeared to be a nightly scene, an impression based on the discoloration and soiling of the work. And on the wrong kind of light.
The LED lighting was installed by Philips, a major sponsor of the Rijksmuseum. The use of LED lighting is planned to be extended to all paintings exhibited in the Rijksmuseum.
(rk)
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Congratulations! What an amazing difference some improved lightning does!!!
Many years ago, when visiting AMS, I found this Masterpiece to be kind of somber, assumed it was the idea at the time of its creation!
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