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3w ago

Rijksmuseum Ties ‘Night Watch’ Dog to 1619 Van de Venne Drawing

Imaging during Operation Night Watch revealed an underdrawing matching the earlier pose, clarifying Rembrandt’s use of common sources in 17th‑century practice.

Art restorers work on Rembrandt's Night Watch at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Rembrandt van Rijn's "The Night Watch" (1642). On loan from from the city of Amsterdam.
Detail of the dog, Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne, Frontispiece Design for Jacob Cats, Self-Strijt, 1619.
The 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Overview

  • Curator Anne Lenders spotted the near-identical dog in a Van de Venne image while visiting a Middelburg exhibition and launched follow-up research.
  • MA‑XRF scans exposed an earlier sketch of the animal with a lower, more bent stance that aligns even more closely with Van de Venne’s design.
  • Rembrandt altered the final figure to stand on all fours with a visible tongue to energize the corner near the militia drummer.
  • Scholars say the model likely came from Jacob Cats’s title page or a later engraving after Van de Venne, though the exact source remains unresolved.
  • Rijksmuseum leaders frame the borrowing as period “emulation,” noting Rembrandt’s familiarity with Van de Venne’s prints, while the dog’s breed remains unconfirmed and conservation work continues in public view.