The Hidden Dog in the Night Watch

 

Rembrandt. The Night Watch. 1642.

One of the premier paintings on display (and currently being restored) at the amazing Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is Rembrandt's The Night Watch. I was able to take in the museum and the painting during a layover in October 2013. The painting was in the news this week (read this article in the New York Times if you have access or this version on CNN). It is really hard to see the dog in the painting (bottom right in the shadows), but maybe it will be clearer once restoration is complete.

It is a cool bit of art history, and it involves a dog. The Amsterdam Night Watch served as the foundation for the New Amsterdam Rattle Watch and that involved my 10th-great-grandfather Lodewyck Post.

Inspiration for the dog in The Night Watch. Adriaen van de Venne. 1619.

One more pitch for the Rijksmuseum. It is one of the best art museums in the world and it is located near the Museumplein park, the Van Gogh Museum, and the super cool modern Moco Museum. I've been to the Rijksmuseum a few times, and I want to go again sometime on a future visit to Amsterdam. It's really great.