AMSTERDAM: Amsterdam’s famed Rijksmuseum will on Monday begin the biggest ever restoration of Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch,” erecting a huge glass cage around the painting so the public can see the work carried out live.
The multi-million-euro overhaul of the giant 1642 masterpiece, one of the world’s most famous paintings, will also be streamed online so that “everyone in the world” can see.
Dubbed “Operation Night Watch,” the project is the “largest and most comprehensive research on Rembrandt’s masterpiece in history,” the museum said in a statement.
“Operation Night Watch aims to preserve the painting optimally for the future and takes place in front of the public in a specially designed glass room.”
Rembrandt Van Rijn was commissioned by the mayor and leader of the civic guard of Amsterdam, Frans Banninck Cocq, to paint the picture of the officers and other members of the so-called “Night Watch” militia.
Experts say the groundbreaking three meter by four meter (nine by 13 feet) picture is the first of its kind to show such a group in motion, rather than in static poses, and features the interplay of light and shadow that the Dutch master is famed for.
Over the last three centuries Rembrandt’s brooding painting has endured travails including an escape from the Nazis, losing large chunks from each side during a move, and three attacks by vandals.
The last major restoration work was carried out 40 years ago after a mentally ill man slashed it with a knife, and it is now housed in its own special room in the Rijksmuseum.
But experts have recently noticed changes to the painting, with a white haze appearing on some parts, especially in the area around the knife damage, where it is bleaching out the figure of a small dog.
The museum wants to “understand how the changes are happening and the best way to restore it,” director Taco Dibbits said when he unveiled the project in October.
Experts will examine the painting using high-resolution photography and computer analysis of every layer including varnish, paint and canvas before deciding on the best restoration techniques.
The work will then take place in a glass case designed by French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who was behind revamps of both the Rijksmuseum and the Louvre gallery in Paris.
“This research and restoration will be carried out with the world watching... so that everyone in the world, no matter where they are, can see,” Dibbits added.
Museum starts ‘live’ restoration of Rembrandt masterpiece
Museum starts ‘live’ restoration of Rembrandt masterpiece
- The multi-million-euro overhaul of the giant 1642 masterpiece, one of the world’s most famous paintings, will also be streamed online
- Dubbed “Operation Night Watch,” the project is the “largest and most comprehensive research on Rembrandt’s masterpiece in history”
Hamza Hawsawi on headlining The Fridge in Riyadh
DUBAI: Saudi R&B artist Hamza Hawsawi headlined The Fridge’s “Concert Series KSA Season 1” over the weekend, performing a show in Riyadh’s JAX District as part of a two-day program spotlighting emerging talent.
Hawsawi’s performance followed “The Fridge Open Mic,” which took place at the same venue the night before. The open mic offered rising artists a professional stage to perform original material in front of a live audience, creating space for experimentation and discovery within the local music scene.
Speaking during the event, Hawsawi highlighted the importance of platforms such as open mics for artists. “I think it is important because an open mic is an opportunity to get to know new artists,” he said. “For industry professionals, like Fridge, it is an eye-opener to the scene, and it lets you understand how the scene is going, what kind of artists you’re gonna be dealing with in the future.”
From an artist’s standpoint, he added, the format remains essential for growth. “We do need open mics. We do need to be out there and to try different things, and to sing to different people, and to test our art and find out if people are gonna gravitate towards it or not.”
Hawsawi has spent more than 15 years developing a sound rooted in R&B, soul and pop, building an audience that now spans the region and beyond. He has accumulated more than 33 million global views and collaborated with a range of regional and international artists.
His track “Million Miles” was selected as the official Rally Dakar anthem, while his live performances have included stages such as MDLBeast and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Asked whether he feels a responsibility to help shape the Saudi R&B scene, Hawsawi described a fluid relationship with that role. “Sometimes I feel that sense of responsibility,” he said. “Other times I feel like I’m just a human being trying to express my feelings … But we’re just artists at the end of the day.”
He added that while he sometimes embraces being a beacon for the genre, “other times I feel like I want to be low-key, and I don’t even want to be seen or heard.”
Hawsawi also reflected on one of his personal challenges as an artist in the Kingdom: writing and performing primarily in English.
“That has been the biggest challenge to face,” he said.
While Arabic remains the most widely spoken language in Saudi Arabia, Hawsawi explained that English allows him to express what he feels more clearly, particularly when it comes to emotion and meaning.
“The nuances of what I feel and all the metaphors for me trying to say something but not saying it, you know, not a lot of people get that,” he said, noting that his work often reaches a niche audience. “But I’m happy with that.”
