De Nachtwacht 1779

Jacob Cats created this chalk manner drawing, ‘De Nachtwacht’ in the second half of the eighteenth century. The piece is a fascinating record of how the Dutch Golden Age was being reimagined nearly a century later. Cats' drawing is based on Rembrandt’s famous painting, ‘The Night Watch’, which was originally titled ‘Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq’. By Cats’ time, however, it had acquired its more dramatic nickname, likely because layers of dirt and varnish had darkened the painting. The question for us is: why did Cats choose this subject? The drawing was made in the Dutch Republic, a time when the Dutch identity was being shaped by historical narratives and artistic interpretations. Drawings like these were collected by art lovers, but also served as records for the art market. To understand this work better, it is important to research its exhibition history, looking at auction catalogues, and the records of collectors. This helps us appreciate how the meaning of art is bound to its time and place.