New Research Reveals Dog in Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watch’ Inspired by Historical Illustration

Research has unveiled that the dog featured in Rembrandt van Rijn’s iconic painting, The Night Watch, was likely inspired by a widely available book illustration. The findings suggest that this canine, which appears as the citizens of Amsterdam prepare to defend their city, draws its likeness from the title page of an illustrated work on moral themes by Dutch artist and poet Adriaen van de Venne.

The investigation coincides with the ongoing public restoration of The Night Watch at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Anne Lenders, the museum’s curator of 17th-century Dutch paintings, made this connection during a visit to an exhibition highlighting Van de Venne’s work at the Zeeuws Museum in Middelburg last year. “As soon as I saw that dog, ‘The Night Watch’ dog came into my mind — I recognized it by the turn of the head,” Lenders stated.

Using advanced techniques such as macro X-ray fluorescence scans, researchers explored a chalk underdrawing of The Night Watch, revealing further similarities between the two dogs. In Rembrandt’s final version, the dog is depicted standing on all fours with its tongue out, barking at a large drum. “It’s very clever how Rembrandt adjusted his dog, putting it in an active stance, vigilant and alert,” Lenders explained. “At any moment, his dog could run away, and this strengthens the living quality of the painting.”

Rembrandt’s engagement with Van de Venne’s prints is well documented. Lenders noted that a figure from the same illustration also shares characteristics with a person in Rembrandt’s subsequent work, Joseph Accused by Potiphar’s Wife, created in 1655 and held at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.

In discussing the significance of artistic copying, Taco Dibbits, director of the Rijksmuseum, emphasized that this practice was integral to an artist’s education and a sign of intellectual prowess. “He didn’t want people to call him Rembrandt van Rijn, but just Rembrandt, like Michelangelo,” Dibbits remarked. “He aimed to be that learned artist who based his work on the prints of his predecessors, mastering them so thoroughly that he could innovate further.”

The study highlights the deep connections between artists of the past and their sources of inspiration, shedding light on how historical context influences artistic expression. As the restoration of The Night Watch continues, this research adds a new layer of understanding to a masterpiece that remains central to the narrative of Dutch Golden Age art.