PREVIEW

Rembrandt's The Night Watch, one of the world's most famous paintings, is on the way to being seen in all its glory again after five years of painstaking restoration. This marks the beginning of the second phase of Operation Night Watch, the biggest ever research and restoration project devoted to this masterpiece by Rembrandt. Removing the old varnish will enable the team to preserve the painting for future generations. Taco Dibbits, Director of the Rijksmuseum, said: “The start of the restoration phase is filled with anticipation: removing the varnish will expose the eventful history of The Night Watch and it will be a truly unique experience for the visiting public to be able to follow the process from so close by.” The conservators are using a special type of tissue to remove the varnish layers that were applied to the painting as part of its restoration in 1975-1976. Curators, scientists and other specialists have studied The Night Watch using the most advanced technologies. This work has led to various breakthroughs in our understanding of the painting's condition and the artist's way of working.