Rijksmuseum Begins Bacteria Sampling On Rembrandt's The Night Watch

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has initiated a new project to identify bacteria present on Rembrandt 's iconic 1642 painting, The Night Watch. This marks the first time such a study will be conducted on the renowned masterpiece.

Over six months, scientific specialists will collect samples from various sections of the painting, including both varnished and unvarnished areas, to analyze their microbial content. This research is part of the ongoing five-year“Operation Night Watch” restoration and research initiative, which is visible to the public behind a glass enclosure at the Rijksmuseum. The project is a collaboration with Artis-Micropia, a microbes museum located within the Amsterdam zoo.

The collected samples will be cultivated and subsequently featured in an installation at Artis-Micropia titled The Night Watch Lives, beginning November 11. This exhibit will include a life-sized reproduction of the painting, mapping out the microorganisms found on its surface.

Katrien Keune, head of science at the Rijksmuseum, explained the project's motivation:“The idea was to find out what we can extract from the surface of the painting in relation to the public. Whenever we walk around, we lose our bio-material. When you speak, you have your saliva reaching out. A curator thought: can we find how visitors are represented on the The Night Watch?”

Keune added that the ultimate objective is to discover bacterial traces of the artist himself. She stated:“Ideally, you want to have the bacteria of Rembrandt: this is the Holy Grail. I think bacteria can survive for a very long time. A lot of research focuses on finding something like DNA or a fingerprint, because you get close to the artist.”

Previous research at the Rijksmuseum revealed that Rembrandt employed an oil-lead mixture to prime his canvases, unlike his 17th-century peers who used a glue layer. This method may have helped prevent mold growth in Amsterdam 's humid climate, potentially deterring microbial development. Masterpieces like The Night Watch undergo thorough cleaning only once approximately every 50 years, alongside daily gentle upkeep.

Eline van Bloois, a microbiologist at Artis-Micropia, expressed optimism that the study will improve public perception of bacteria.“The comparison between a massive masterpiece and this invisible life is already amazing,” van Bloois said.“Often, they get a bit of a bad reputation, but microbes are not inherently good or bad.”

Van Bloois highlighted that a minuscule percentage of microbes are estimated to cause illness in humans or animals. She also noted:“We also know that, in some cases, it actually also helps train our immune system to be exposed to some of those microbes that may be able to cause usually minor disease. It's good to give microbes some love as well.”

Source: The Art Newspaper

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