ARTIS and the Rijksmuseum reveal the invisible life on The Night Watch
- 10 September 2026
What lives on The Night Watch? ARTIS and the Rijksmuseum are joining forces to reveal the invisible life found on The Night Watch. From 11 November, the installation The Night Watch Lives will be on display at ARTIS-Micropia. Centred around a life-size reproduction of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, the installation reveals which microorganisms live on the painting.
Revealing hidden life
Eline van Bloois, microbiologist at ARTIS-Micropia: “Microbes are all around us, but most of the time we cannot see them. Being able to make the microbiome of The Night Watch visible is very special. The contrast between the smallest forms of life on Earth and this enormous work of art is fascinating in itself. It is a surprising way of showing that even a masterpiece as carefully preserved as The Night Watch is constantly in contact with a living environment.”
The largest research and restoration project on Rembrandt’s masterpiece
Katrien Keune, Head of Science at the Rijksmuseum: “Operation Night Watch is the largest research and restoration project ever undertaken on Rembrandt’s masterpiece. By studying the painting at both macro and micro level, the Rijksmuseum has learned much more about how Rembrandt painted The Night Watch and about the painting’s condition. Thanks to the unique expertise of ARTIS-Micropia, we will soon also know which microorganisms live on The Night Watch.”
Which bacteria are growing on the girl and the dog?
To explore these microorganisms, a laboratory technician from ARTIS-Micropia and conservators from the Rijksmuseum will take samples from different areas of The Night Watch over a six-month period, from sections both with and without a layer of varnish. At Micropia’s laboratory, the samples are cultured before being identified by an external laboratory. Do the same bacteria grow on The Night Watch as, for example, on your fridge at home? And are there more microbes on the girl than on the dog? From 11 November, visitors to ARTIS-Micropia will be able to see the first results. As more samples are taken, the installation will continue to grow. More and more results will be added to the life-size reproduction, while visitors will also be given a glimpse into the culturing process.
Operation Night Watch
The Night Watch is Rembrandt’s most famous painting. It depicts the citizens of Amsterdam who protected the city. The painting is almost 400 years old and deserves the best possible care so that future generations can continue to enjoy it. That is why the Rijksmuseum launched Operation Night Watch in 2019, the largest and most comprehensive research and restoration project ever undertaken on Rembrandt’s most famous work.
The project is taking place in full view of the public, in a specially designed glass chamber in the Rijksmuseum’s Gallery of Honour. The painting has been examined using the most advanced research techniques. The conservators are now removing the yellowed varnish that was applied in the 1970s.
The Night Watch Lives will be on display at ARTIS-Micropia from 11 November 2026.
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