Amsterdam. Rijksmuseum.

‘The Night Watch’ (1642) by Rembrandt van Rijn. “The Night Watch is Rembrandt’s largest (379.5 cm high and 453.5 cm wide) and most famous painting and is the centrepiece of the Rijksmuseum’s Gallery of Honour. It was painted in 1642 for one of the meeting halls of Amsterdam’s civic guard, a militia company that protected the city. Rembrandt was the first artist to paint a group portrait with the figures in action and telling a story. The captain, dressed in black, is instructing his lieutenant to give the company orders to march. The guardsmen are taking their places. Rembrandt used light to draw our attention to important details, such as the captain’s gesture and the girl in the background.”