Operation Night Watch
Photo: Rijksmuseum/Henk Wildschut
''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.''
Taco Dibbits, Director of the Rijksmuseum
Operation Night Watch
Photo: Rijksmuseum/Henk Wildschut
Varnish
Our 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. The conservators place the tissue, prepared with a solvent, against the surface of The Night Watch for a short, limited amount of time. The varnish is solubilised and absorbed into the tissue. Then, using a microscope, they carefully remove any remnants of even older varnish with cotton swabs. This moment is the culmination of years of scientific research, applying this technique to other paintings, and conducting tests on The Night Watch itself.
Operation Night Watch
Photo: Rijksmuseum/Henk Wildschut
Operation Night Watch
Over the last five years a large team of conservators, curators, scientists and other specialists have studied The Night Watch using the most advanced technologies: from digital imaging to scientific and technical studies, and from computer science to artificial intelligence. This work has led to various breakthroughs in our understanding of the painting’s condition and the artist’s way of working. The team collaborates with experts from the Rijksmuseum’s main partner for this project, AkzoNobel, as well as the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE), Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Amsterdam University Medical Centre (AUMC), the University of Antwerp (UA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. For more information online, please visit Operation Night Watch - Rijksmuseum.
Operation Night Watch
Photo: Rijksmuseum/Henk Wildschut
AkzoNobel is the main partner of Operation Night Watch.
Operation Night Watch is made possible by The Bennink Foundation, C.L. de Carvalho-Heineken, PACCAR Foundation, Piet van der Slikke & Sandra Swelheim, American Express Foundation, Familie De Rooij, Het AutoBinck Fonds, TBRM Engineering Solutions, Dina & Kjell Johnsen, Familie D. Ermia, Familie M. van Poecke, Bruker Nano Analytics, Henry M. Holterman Fonds, Irma Theodora Fonds, Luca Fonds, Piek-den Hartog Fonds, Stichting Zabawas, Cevat Fonds, Johanna Kast-Michel Fonds, Marjorie & Jeffrey A. Rosen, Stichting Thurkowfonds, Familie Van Ogtrop Fonds, FedEx Express, Airbnb, NICAS, the Night Watch Fund, the City of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Museum.