Rijksmuseum · construction site visible to the public
The restoration of La Ronde de nuit
Attacks, ancient interventions, scientific study and varnish removal: how the largest research and conservation project ever dedicated to the painting protects Rembrandt's masterpiece today.
Where is the construction site?
Restoration is still ongoing: restorers are currently removing old varnishes.Launched summer 2019, Operation Night Watch - often called in French Operation Night Watch - began with an unprecedented review campaign. After replacing the chassis in 2022, the team began removing old varnishes at the end of 2024.
The work takes place in a glass enclosure built in the Gallery of Honor at the Rijksmuseum. Visitors can therefore observe the conservation live. This is not a quick "cleanup": each area is tested, documented and treated on a millimeter scale.
A turbulent story
Restorations and accidents before 2019
Why intervene?
A painting weakened by its material history
Rembrandt's painting is only part of the current object. Over the centuries varnishes, touch-ups, sealants, canvas lining and frame changes have been added. Certain materials protected the work; others have aged, yellowed or modified its mechanical behavior.
The study also observed deformations, especially in the upper left corner, caused by uneven tension. Pigments changed: blue smalt discolored, lead pigments produced metallic soaps and dog has lost some of its readability. The restoration must therefore distinguish between original painting, irreversible transformations and more recent additions.
September 14, 1975
How were the large cuts repaired?
After the knife attack, twelve cuts passed through the canvas. Some hung in long tabs. The curators put the edges back in place, consolidated the fibers and filled in the gaps before retouching only the lost areas.
A new lining fabric was attached to the reverse with a mixture of wax and resin. This intervention strengthened the whole, but it is now part of the material history that the current team must understand and monitor. THE today's restaurateurs do not seek to eliminate any testimony of the accident: above all, they ensure stability and a coherent visual reading.
A controlled scar: seen from a distance, the repair blends into the image; under close or scientific examination, it remains documentable. A good restoration does not erase the history of the object.
See before you touch
How do scientists map the picture?
The project combines very high resolution photography, chemical imaging and microscopic observations. The goal is not only to produce beautiful images, but to connect each crack, pigment and layer to its exact position.
Structural treatment
Why replace the wooden frame?
After two and a half years of study, the canvas was laid face down painted. The team removed the 564 seeds that attached it to the wooden frame installed in 1975. The edges of the lining were flattened and prepared for a new tensioning system.
Since March 2022, the panel has been based on a rigid aluminum frame. Rods and springs distribute tension much more evenly; sensors allow it to be tracked. This device limits deformations which appeared when wood, canvas or climate evolved differently.
This change does not concern the painted image: he acts behind the canvas. However, the quality of this support is essential to avoid wrinkles, local tensions and future movements.
Current phase
Remove varnishes without reaching Rembrandt
The removed layers are not Rembrandt's original varnish. They mainly date from interventions in the 1970s and 1990s. Over time, they have deteriorated and harm the unity of the surface.
The tests compared several methods. The main removal is done with a fine fabric loaded with a precisely chosen solvent; the resistant traces are then worked under a microscope with a cotton swab. Each pass must dissolve the varnish without swelling or moving the paint.
As the varnish disappears, some areas appear temporarily matte or dull. This aspect is expected during construction: the surface has not yet received its final treatment and should not be judged as a completed presentation.
Ethical limits
What restoration can - and cannot - restore
What she can do
- stabilize the canvas and distribute its tension;
- remove non-original varnishes when safe;
- consolidate uprisings and fragilities;
- visually alleviate gaps through reversible retouching;
- document and monitor the evolution of each area.
What she must not invent
- repaint irreversibly discolored pigments;
- pass off a modern reconstruction as the hand of Rembrandt;
- erase all traces of old attacks or treatments;
- glue back the strips cut in 1715, which have disappeared;
- standardize a deliberately varied material.
What the research revealed
A sketch under the painting and transformed effects
The imagery highlighted a first painted installation below the visible composition. Rembrandt sketched the large masses and certain lines before constructing figures, weapons and architecture.
The analyzes also shed light on passages that have become difficult to read: a cloud of smoke more present at the origin, the dog treated quickly, or impasto effects obtained with preparations containing lead. They show especially since the current aspect is the joint result of the gesture of 1642 and almost four centuries of evolution.
These discoveries guide the treatment, but also enrich the history of Rembrandt's technique: he adjusted his composition during work, alternated thin layers and reliefs, and exploited the reaction of light on matter.
An open construction site
Can we still see La Ronde de nuit?
Yes. The Rijksmuseum maintains the work in the Gallery of Honor, behind a transparent enclosure. Depending on the work phase, scaffolding, devices, restorers or matte areas may modify the view. This presentation does part of the project: the public sees not only a masterpiece, but also the care necessary for its transmission.
The timing depends on observations made during processing. A restoration of this magnitude cannot be carried out on an arbitrary date: a more resistant layer, an old touch-up or unexpected behavior may require new tests.
Before a visit: visit the official Operation Night Watch page for the current phase and possible viewing conditions.
Continue the visit
Understand the work before choosing its reproduction
Find the complete analysis, the parts lost in 1715 and the reading of the light, then discover the reproduction and the Rembrandt collection.
Frequently asked questions
Catering FAQs
Is the restoration of La Ronde de nuit complete?
No. The project is still ongoing. After the study started in 2019 and the structural treatment in 2022, the Rijksmuseum is currently removing the old varnishes, a phase launched at the end of 2024.
Why is the project called Operation Night Watch?
It is the international name chosen by the Rijksmuseum for the largest research and restoration campaign ever devoted to the painting. In French, we also find "Operation Night Watch".
Has the painting been restored before?
Yes, many times. The interventions of 1975 -1976, after the knife attack, and that of 1990, after the acid attack, are among the best documented.
Why does the painting sometimes seem dull during work?
Because the varnishes are removed gradually. Areas already treated do not yet have their final presentation and may therefore temporarily appear more matte.
Is cleaning likely to remove Rembrandt's paint?
Solvents and methods are tested precisely before use. Removal is limited to non-original varnish layers and residues are treated under a microscope.
Why was an aluminum chassis installed?
It distributes tension better than the old wooden frame. Its springs and sensors also make it possible to monitor the canvas and reduce deformation.
Will the parts cut out in 1715 be recreated on the original?
No. The fragments are lost. The reconstruction presented in 2021 was a study tool printed around the painting, without modification of the work.
Can we see restaurateurs working?
Yes. The site was designed in a glass room at the Rijksmuseum, so that the public could follow the main phases of the intervention.
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