Here’s a fascinating art mystery that’s just been uncovered — and it involves one of the most celebrated paintings of the Dutch Golden Age. In Amsterdam, an intriguing discovery has surfaced about the dog featured in Rembrandt van Rijn’s iconic masterpiece, "The Night Watch." But here’s where it gets controversial: this particular dog isn’t entirely original. Instead, it appears to be nearly an exact copy of a dog drawn by another Dutch artist, Adriaen van de Venne, back in 1619.
Anne Lenders, a curator at Amsterdam’s renowned Rijksmuseum, stumbled upon this revelation quite by chance. She wasn’t hunting for this detail; it simply caught her eye while she was visiting an exhibition at the Zeeuws Museum in the southern part of the Netherlands. There, she noticed a depiction of a dog sketched by Van de Venne—an image that had also been printed in a book by the well-known poet Jacob Cats. Even more intriguingly, the original Van de Venne drawing belonged to the Rijksmuseum’s extensive collection and was on display during her visit.
“The similarity was so striking that my immediate thought was Rembrandt must have referenced this exact drawing,” Lenders explained, recalling the moment of discovery.
What followed was a meticulous comparison between the two dogs—the one in Rembrandt’s painting and the one in Van de Venne’s ink sketch. Every detail was scrutinized: their posture, the collar adorning their necks, and the angle of their heads. "The head turns at precisely the same angle, with the mouth slightly open," Lenders pointed out. "Both dogs have long fur, and their ears hang down vertically."
In "The Night Watch," the dog plays a dynamic yet subtle role—it crouches in a shadowy corner, its bark adding a sense of tension and movement near the drummer Jacob Jorisz, positioned just behind one of the painting’s central figures, Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch. This seemingly small detail contributes powerfully to the overall drama of the scene.
This new insight comes as part of an ongoing, painstaking project called "Operation Night Watch," which kicked off in 2019. The initiative uses cutting-edge technology and research methods to thoroughly study and restore the massive canvas, which measures approximately 379.5 by 453.5 centimeters (or 149.4 by 178.5 inches). Despite the painting’s fame and decades of study, the project continues to reveal unexpected nuances.
Rijksmuseum Director Taco Dibbits remarked, “People often assume we know everything about such a famous work. But great art keeps giving up secrets, no matter how well it’s been examined.”
One question that remains unresolved is the exact breed of the dog depicted. Experts are divided, with no consensus on whether it is a French or Dutch breed. This ambiguity suggests that both Van de Venne and Rembrandt may have exercised artistic freedom rather than striving for an accurate zoological portrait.
“We may never definitively identify the breed,” Dibbits admitted, “but what’s clear is that the dog is depicted with much affection.”
So here’s an open question for art lovers and historians alike: Does the revelation that Rembrandt’s dog was replicated from another artist’s work diminish the originality or genius of "The Night Watch," or does it simply highlight the collaborative spirit and shared inspirations of artists during the Dutch Golden Age? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments—agree or disagree, your voice matters!
