Removing varnish is not the same as overpainting

Sources

Sources consulted on 16 September 2026. The museum sources support the object details, history or the museum’s own programme. Viewing tips and interpretation of the images are editorial interpretation.

The final Dutch text was reviewed for content and language by a separate editorial assistant. A source check is not a truth percentage.

Restoration begins – Rijksmuseum
Start 12 November 2024, varnish 1975-76, fabric plus solvent, glass room
Operation Night Watch
Research since 2019, matt interim stage after varnish removal

Images and captions

**Rembrandt van Rijn, The Night Watch, 1642. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.**
Rembrandt · Public domain. http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.5216
Original image page ↗
Reduced in size and converted to WebP for the web; no editing of the image content.

**Historical copy of The Night Watch, with guide lines marking the later, trimmed format.**
Attributed to Gerrit Lundens / After Rembrandt · Public domain. File:Lundens - Nachtwache-Kopie.jpg
Original image page ↗
Reduced in size and converted to WebP for the web; no editing of the image content.

Current situation

A work being in the collection does not mean it is permanently on display. Check the museum’s current programme before you visit.