3. The Moment in Rembrandt’s Night Watch

Abstract

Rembrandt van Rijn’s famous Night Watch is a complex painting and operates on many different levels. This article stresses both the narrative and the moral qualities of the painting, and looks at the interplay between art and philosophy, with a focus on the moment represented and how an incident plays out in a broadly ethical sense across the picture. The painting achieves a kind of unity through the representation of the musket blast, which disturbs or affects a good number of the figures in the scene. In addition, the lack of reaction to the shot on the part of the captain and lieutenant offers us a vivid image of military bravery and firm leadership: they remain focused on their duties, and carry out their tasks with stoical calm. The moment of the firing of the gun thus helps to explain both some of the figural action as well as offering an essential moral meaning of Rembrandt’s masterpiece.