Scientists have discovered the secret to Rembrandt’s lustrous sheen effect in his iconic artwork The Night Watch: arsenic. This naturally occurring toxic chemical was found during an ongoing restoration and analysis project at the Rijksmuseum and University of Amsterdam.
The study, published in Heritage Science, revealed that Rembrandt used a combination of arsenic sulfide pigments to create the golden luster on the embroidered garments of Willem van Ruytenburch. The researchers initially thought Rembrandt used orpiment for yellow hues and realgar for red hues, but discovered pararealgar and semi-amorphous pararealgar instead.
Rembrandt’s use of arsenic sulfides for portraiture was innovative, unlike other Dutch still-lifes that used it to paint fruits and flowers. The study also found similar pigment mixtures in a painting by Willem Kalf, Rembrandt’s contemporary, suggesting that using natural and artificial arsenic sulfides to create pigments was common during the Dutch Golden Age.
Rembrandt van Rijn was the foremost portrait artist of the Dutch Golden Age, known for his mastery of shadow play. The Night Watch is one of his most celebrated artworks, measuring 12-14.5 feet in size.
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Source: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/scientists-discover-the-secret-ingredient-in-rembrandts-luminous-the-night-watch-2518104