Painting · Rembrandt van Rijn · 1642
Rembrandt, The Night Watch (1642)
The Night Watch is Rembrandt's group portrait of an Amsterdam civic militia company led by Captain Frans Banninck Cocq, painted in 1642 and hanging in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Rembrandt died in 1669; the painting is in the public domain and the Rijksmuseum publishes its photograph of it without restriction.
History
The militia company commissioned the painting for the great hall of their headquarters, the Kloveniersdoelen. Where earlier militia portraits lined the men up in rows, Rembrandt showed the company in motion, pouring out of a gateway with the captain and his lieutenant stepping into the light. Its proper title is Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq; 'The Night Watch' is an 18th-century nickname from the darkened varnish, long since removed.
The canvas was trimmed on all sides in 1715 to fit a wall in the town hall, losing two figures on the left. It has been attacked three times and restored each time, and since 2019 the Rijksmuseum has been studying and conserving it in public in a glass chamber, Operation Night Watch. The painting belongs to the City of Amsterdam and hangs in the museum on long-term loan.
What the print shows
Captain Banninck Cocq in black with a red sash and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch in pale yellow at the centre, walking toward the viewer, surrounded by musketeers loading and firing, a drummer, pikes and a banner, with a small girl in gold carrying a chicken at her belt lit as brightly as the officers. The original is very large, 363 by 437 cm; the print keeps the proportion and is offered up to 30 by 40 inches.
Source and licence
Source: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (on loan from the City of Amsterdam).
Licence: Public domain. The painter died in 1669, and the Rijksmuseum releases its images of public-domain works for any use without restriction.
Oil on canvas, 363 by 437 cm; object number SK-C-5.
Available sizes and prices
Print: paper or framed Etsy listing 4570171822
| Size | Paper | Framed |
|---|---|---|
| 8 × 12 in (21 × 30 cm) | $29.99 | $98.99 |
| 12 × 18 in (30 × 45 cm) | $44.99 | $137.99 |
| 16 × 24 in (40 × 60 cm) | $54.99 | $195.99 |
| 24 × 36 in (60 × 90 cm) | $69.99 | $332.99 |
| 28 × 40 in (70 × 100 cm) | — | $447.99 |
| 30 × 40 in (75 × 100 cm) | $123.99 | — |
Printed to order, shipped in 2–5 business days, free US shipping. Paper: matte fine-art paper. Framed: real wood (black, white, wood, dark wood), shatterproof acrylic, ready to hang.
Buy
- Rembrandt The Night Watch 1642 (print: paper or framed): buy on Etsy, from $29.99.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is it called The Night Watch?
- Because by the 18th century layers of dark varnish made the scene look nocturnal. Cleaning showed it is a daytime scene; the nickname stuck anyway.
- Who are the two men at the centre?
- Captain Frans Banninck Cocq, in black with a red sash, and his lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch, in yellow. They led the militia company of Amsterdam's District II.
- Where is The Night Watch?
- In the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it is the centrepiece of the Gallery of Honour. It is owned by the City of Amsterdam.
- What is the largest size of the print?
- 30 by 40 inches on paper, or 28 by 40 framed; the smallest is an A4 poster listed as 8 by 12. The prices are listed on this page.
Sources
Published 20 Oct 2026; prices are the live Etsy prices as of 20 Oct 2026. The work is public domain; this page's text is © ThinkDotCo and may be quoted with a link.