Rembrandt’s “Night Watch” Is Alive!
The Dutch masterpiece is teeming with microbes, and scientists hope this invisible life will be a key to unlocking some of the painting’s mysteries.
At the Rijksmuseum's Gallery of Honor in Amsterdam, microbiologist Eline van Bloois meticulously collected samples from Rembrandt's renowned painting, "The Night Watch." ARTIS, the city's zoo, partnered with ARTIS-Micropia, a science museum dedicated to studying microbes. Their research reveals the invisible life on the world's most famous artwork.
The findings are showcased at The Night Watch Lives, opening on November 11 at ARTIS-Micropia. Life-size reproductions of the painting highlight the samples taken and the dates of collection. Initial results found bacteria from soil, common skin bacteria, and the Japanese Microbacterium saccharophilum. The exhibit will expand with six more microbial trips to the Rijksmuseum, displaying 60 bacteria by February.
The project complements Operation Night Watch, the largest restoration and research initiative on the painting since 2019, which discovered a rare lead compound in the underlying layer.
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