Rembrandt: The Night Watch

Rembrandt’s largest, most famous canvas was made for the Arquebusiers guild hall. Rembrandt was the first to paint figures in a group portrait actually doing something. The captain, dressed in black, is telling his lieutenant to start the company marching. The guardsmen are getting into formation. Rembrandt used the light to focus on particular details, like the captain’s gesturing hand and the young girl in the foreground. She was the company mascot. This masterpiece is now located in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.