Rembrandt van Rijn was renowned as one of the most talented Dutch painter of his time, and The Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq (Night Watch) is an example of his remarkably innovative style. Born in Leiden, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam in 1631; there his career thrived and his portraits, in particular, were in high demand from the city’s elite, who had grown wealthy through extensive trading and colonization. Around 1640, six artists were commissioned to paint group portraits of various military companies for the assembly and banquet hall of the new Kloveniersdoelen (Musketeer’s Hall) in Amsterdam, and this work was Rembrandt’s contribution. Although civic-guard group portraits were very common during this period, Rembrandt’s work is unusual in its animation and informality. Rather than presenting the men assembled in an orderly line, with equally detailed attention given to each, the artist highlights the two principal officers, Captain Frans Banning Cocq, and his lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch, in the central foreground; the other sixteen members of the militia group are dispersed in various positions and activities behind, with several other participants inserted to enliven the representation. The members are shown in fairly naturalistic poses, frantically organizing themselves for a parade. Rembrandt heightened the drama and excitement by incorporating various baroque elements, including cut-off figures, diagonal lines, projecting objects, and tenebrism. Although nicknamed, “The Night Watch”, the scene in this painting actually occurs in daylight. The seemingly nocturnal shadows are a result of the varnish the artist used, which has darkened considerably since it was first applied. However, Rembrandt did employ dramatic lighting to enhance the picture’s energy and this work demonstrates his ability to portray subtle gradations between light and darkness that simulate the effects of natural light. Originally the painting was much larger, but the cropping of the canvas when it was moved to Amsterdam ...