Baroque Era Assessment of The Night Watch
Introduction
Literature is the bedrock which my knowledge and appreciation of art rests upon. History, fantasy, and science fiction are some of my favorite genres, and militias, sieges and watchmen are often a big part of these stories. Who hasn’t listened to Jimi Hendrix’s song All Along the Watchtower and not invented a tale to go along with the lyrics. While Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman was intriguing to me not only because it was a sequel to one of my most beloved novels, but also for its title.
These reasons and more are why I will be going over the amazing baroque era piece, The Night Watch. “The Night Watch was painted by Rembrandt van Rijn in Amsterdam during the year 1642” (Ribas). The Night Watch, more formally known as Militia Company of District II Under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq is equally stunning as it is massive. With impressive dimensions of “12.4 by 14.9 feet” the painting features Captain Frans Cocq leading men from his militia company through the streets of Amsterdam (Ribas). The painting was commissioned by the captain and would go on to become a truly timeless classic.
The Thirty-Year War
The largest and most substantial influence from the Baroque era that is found in this piece is easily the Thirty-Year War. Not only was the painting commissioned during the height of the Thirty-Year War, but it also depicts Captain Cocq’s militia preparing to defend the critical city of Amsterdam. The Thirty-Year War claimed the lives of close to eight million soldiers and civilians. As is often the case with these unspeakable tragedies, astonishing, special, and remarkable art often rises from the ashes of war like a phoenix. In this case, The Night Watch would have never been able to depict this brave “group of civilian soldiers preparing to defend their city from attack” without the thirty years of terrible grueling warfare (Rijksmuseum).
Analysis
The most prominent and powerful artistic element on display in The Night Watch is easily tone. The contrast between light and dark creates a dramatic and depth filled landscape. The use of this element not only helps each figure in the painting feel more vivid and alive, but it also contributes to the overall dynamic of the piece. Rembrandt’s painting style makes me feel as if I were standing in the middle of the bustling street witnessing the chaos around. This feeling of being present in the moment doesn't just stop at the visual elements however, but also extends to the emotions and sentimental air presented in The Night Watch.
As stated above, Rembrandt was able to create a truly immersive and engaging landscape inside this piece. Due to the massive scale of the project, each individual was able to be lavished with attention and detail. This allows the viewer to pick out any character from the work and get a snapshot of what their life might have looked like. I very much appreciate this style of making the background characters actually feel alive instead of just being poorly made props. This being said, there is still a greater emphasis on Captain Cocq, his lieutenant, and the young girl in yellow, whose light and angelic quality contrasts with the darkness all around. However, this extra detail on the three main characters is done in a manner where it doesn’t take away from the rest of the piece. Another thing The Night Watch captures perfectly, in my opinion, is the emotion of the situation. From the disarray and mayhem of preparing for battle, to the awe of seeing the militia fully massed, and the apprehension and unease involving the upcoming siege, The Night Watch expertly checks all the boxes. Everything mentioned and more combine to create a piece for the ages.
Comparision
For this section, I will be comparing The Night Watch to my piece from last week, The Birth of Venus. It is easy to see at first glance that they both focus on different things and employ different styles. However, for this I want to focus on the wildly divergent sentiments these two pieces invoke. The Birth of Venus highlights the emergence of Venus, the goddess of love. This represents and conveys the peaceful and happy existence that was the renaissance. On the other hand, The Night Watch, depicts a force of men preparing for battle. Although this painting certainly romanticizes the situation, it still carries undertones of what is to come. Considering that the painting was finished after nearly thirty years of conflict, and that no matter where you look on the canvas there is some kind of weapon on display, it is clear that the circumstances were anything but bright. Overall, when looking at the two pieces side by side, they represent both sides of life’s coin. The yin of love, birth, and contentment, with the yang of hate, death, and desperation.
Conclusion
In summary, I loved everything from the name of this painting to its contents, along with the thoughts and emotions it provokes. This is most definitely something I would want to see and own (even considering its massive proportions). Thanks for reading and see you next time!
Bibliography
Ribas, J. (2024) The Night Watch, Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Night-Watch (Accessed: 21 June 2024).
Rijksmuseum (no date) The Night Watch, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642, Rijksmuseum. Available at: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/SK-C-5 (Accessed: 21 June 2024).
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ReplyDeleteHi Vaughan,
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I find most interesting in this piece is the way it makes you think and imagine everyone springing to action at once. Although, everyone seems to be moving in a different direction. It makes me think of ordered chaos. Another thing I find interesting is the detail, as you pointed out. The figures are incredibly detailed, but the Captain, his Lieutenant, and the girl are all highlighted. The prominence of color on these figures makes me wonder if they paid for the commission themselves. At first, I thought the Lieutenant had a sword at his belt with the hilt towards us, but on closer inspection, the artist used foreshortening on some sort of staff weapon.
When I saw your chosen piece, I instantly felt intrigued. I think that this is due to the fact that the people in it are looking in different directions. This made me wonder what lay beyond the what we see in this window to a world depicted by pigments. It makes the tragedy that was the Thirty-Year War seem like an exciting event. That is because there is no tragedy depicted her, but instead, a celebration of the bravery of Captain Cocq and his men.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post. The way the you explored the intricate relationship between the art and the Baroque era was really appealing to me. The detailed analysis of how the art from that period reflected the cultural, social, and religious context was truly insightful. I especially liked how the blog connected the art to the specific characteristics of the Baroque era, such as the emphasis on emotion, drama, and grandeur. It deepened my understanding of the art and its historical significance. Overall, the blog provided a compelling exploration of the art within the context of the Baroque era, and I found it to be a fascinating read.
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ReplyDeleteI love this painting! You can feel the bustling of chaos about to ensue. You got men preparing their muzzle loaders, there is a man on the right practicing the beat of the drum that will be used to march the men forward, and oddly enough these men do not care that a woman in a golden dress is just running about in a fancy dress in the middle of it all.
ReplyDeleteI really like the emphasis of the subjects in the front and middle of the painting. The not so detailed background has just enough highlights to see the walls and the spears leaning against it. Did you see all the weapon types? Were those normal during that time? Spears, guns, and swords! There are also folks in medieval armor, pilgrims clothing, and drummer looks like he should be in the American Revolution. Maybe I am just not educated enough about this time period, but I am about to have myself a look see.
I guess when you can make such a large painting, you can make the details seem very fine. A paintbrush to the size of this canvas is like a fine pencil to a sheet of paper. Now that I am looking at it again, the girl in the dress and the man in front talking to what would be the man in charge, are overwhelmingly bright compared to the rest of this unorthodox bunch. I know it is supposed to have a lot of contrasting lighting effects, but this does not seem natural.
Thanks for analyzing this piece. I am going to look into a little more now. I look forward to your future blogs.