MoederMoedertext3

1
I remember it was just after supper and my father, who never interfered with bedtime intricacies, told us to go immediately to bed and stay there whatever happened. Of course I immediately went to bed, but I had no plans to fall asleep. I knew there was something going on. Something dangerous, something exciting, something I just wasn't going to miss. You see my father is a civic guard.

Hello, I know you don't know me and you can't see me but I can tell you I know all about this painting. This painting is entitled: The company of captain Frans Banning Cocq and luitenant Willem van Ruytenburch. (Het korporaalschap van kapitein Frans Banning Cocq en luitenant Willem van Ruytenburch.) . It is also known as the Night Watch (De Nacht Wacht).
My story start on the head of Jan Cornelisz. Visscher., who is the standard bearer. I remember that particular evening, when he kept running his hands through his hair. Very annoining. He must have been nervous or scared to do so. He clearly hadn't been himself after he had talked to his colleges. Apperantly, they had been asked for a very important job. They had to protect some books stored in a 'pawn house'. It didn't seem like a difficult job to me, but it made him very restless. I had always thought that men of the civic guard liked action.

In the Middle Ages most able-bodied men were liable to do military service. Weapons were still relatively simple. The introduction of the longbow led in the fourteenth century to the institution of companies of archers - the civic guards. These took the names of the weapons they used: the crossbowmen and longbowmen. After 1500, with the advent of firearms such as the arquebus, came the arquebusiers guilds. The object of the militia company was to support the civic authorities in the event of unrest. Civic guard units held competitions, joined in processions and participated in military campaigns. They were often also responsible for keeping order in the city at night.
A guild is a society of persons united by a particular aim or occupation. Guilds were first formed in the Middle Ages. Some guilds were founded as charities, others were societies of merchants, craftsmen, artists and militias. Craftsmen would have been unable to practice their profession without being a member of the guild. Members were bound by a code of quality and price, but could also obtain assistance from the guild. An extensive apprenticeship system developed. Only a fully qualified master could become a member of the guild. Each guild had its patron saint: the patron of the painters guild was St. Luke.

The militia companies were supposed to support the city authorities in emergencies. But these units of well-trained soldiers presented a potential threat to civic order too - which is why they were strictly supervised. Some civic guard guilds were even disbanded for lack of loyalty. The Iconoclast Fury of 1566 was a severe test for the loyalty of these companies. Some militiamen refused to fire on civilians. In 1580 the civic guards and the militia companies were merged - increasing the size of the guilds. The target ranges, the guild halls of the militia companies, developed into gentlemen's clubs. Guardsmen were drawn from the burghers of the town. Higher officers were often burgomasters.

Seventeenth-century militias were divided into companies or 'vendels'. Each district had its own company and each was divided in turn into units led by a corporal. A company would have three commanding officers: captain, lieutenant and ensign (standard bearer) and two sergeants. The colonel commanded the various companies and maintained contact with the civic authorities. The officers are easily recognisable on the militia portraits. The captain is usually holding a walkingstick, while making a gesture of command with his other hand. The lieutenant carries a pole arm - a partisan - and the sergeants have halberds. The officers in Rembrandt's Night Watch can be similarly identified.
A halberd is a versatile weapon consisting of a long wooden shaft (measuring more than two metres) topped by a spearhead, with a blade and a pick on either side. In battle it was used for cleaving and thrusting, while the pick was used to unhorse cavalry. Halberds were borne by footsoldiers from the Middle Ages to the 16th century. They were later replaced by the pike and subsequently only borne by sergeants, generally as a sign of rank. Some kings maintained a special guard of halberdiers. The word 'halberd'derives form the German words 'Hahn' (pole) and 'Barte'(axe).

2
When my mother kissed me good night she had no clue I was still wearing my shoes. As soon as heard her entering the kitchen, I put on an extra jumper and left the house in search of adventure. I had no clue where to go to, but something told me I should head towards the Arquebusiers' headquarters. No one was to be found, but I could sense that the civic guards had left only a moment ago. Then I saw one-legged Jack. He a friend of my father. He once was a civic guard, but he had an accident. I asked him what was going on. He shook his head and pointed me in the direction of one of the big houses along the canal. Apparently there was a fight of some kind and people tried to steal books. He sighed and said I should go back home because it was dangerous for a girl to walk all by herself.
Ofcourse I ignored him and ran as quick as I could to the scene of the crime. I took a shortcut so I would miss as little as possible. I had to climb a couple of fences, outrun an angry dog and shun some drunkards, but it worked out as wonderful as ever. I concealed myself behind a big tree and watched excitedly.

I remember he left the house in a hurry to get to his work. As I mentioned before, he was a member of the civic guard. He was a Arquebusiers Clauwenier. Apperantly there was a fight and he was needed on this late hour. It must have been a silly sight seeing him run and at the same time trying to put on his costume and not to lose his weapon.

The militiamen can be recognised from their weapons and attributes. Lieutenants usually hold a partisan and the ensign the standard. Sergeants are traditionally armed with a halberd. The captain's walking stick also often appears in militia paintings. The captain can be recognised from the gesture he is making with his left hand. A similar gesture appeared in the first militia painting by Dirck Jacobsz of 1529 and can be found in many of the later group portraits.
A halberd is a versatile weapon consisting of a long wooden shaft (measuring more than two metres) topped by a spearhead, with a blade and a pick on either side. In battle it was used for cleaving and thrusting, while the pick was used to unhorse cavalry. Halberds were borne by footsoldiers from the Middle Ages to the 16th century. They were later replaced by the pike and subsequently only borne by sergeants, generally as a sign of rank. Some kings maintained a special guard of halberdiers. The word 'halberd'derives form the German words 'Hahn' (pole) and 'Barte'(axe).
A partisan is a weapon with a shaft of some three or four metres and along a flat iron blade, culminating in a broad point. At the base of the blade are tiny hooks. Partisans were employed as weapons in battle from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. By the 17th century it had become the lieutenant's symbol in the Dutch militias. Today a few regiments of guardsmen still carry partisans.

3
I watched the men plunder a house. They were throwing everything outside. Suddenly I smelt smoke. These strangers were trying to burn something which looked like a book. I had no clue why. I decided to get a little bit closer. Like a shadow I moved from one place to the other until I could almost reach into the flames without being seen. No one bothered to look behind the huge pile of rubbish, so I would be save. All of a sudden the plunderers stopped and looked in one direction. Out of a gate came the civic guard: the 'Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch'. Magnificent. Those shinning weapons, the exaggerated uniforms with richly decorated tabards and caps, the expressions on their faces... Then boom. Fire, smoke, blood, screams. A few minutes later everything was back to normal again. Except for the smouldering books. One of which I managed to take along. I couldn't read but it had pictures with militia men. I looked at my father, who was talking to Van Ruytenburch. Then he entered the house for further inspection or something. This was my change to go and get to bed before I would be caught.

I have never smelled so much smoke in my life. I really thought I was going to die. Thank God the fire was stopped quickly. Everything was black and wet. The civic guard had done what they could, but at least half of the books were damaged. The enemy must have known when the night shift would be.

But where are they going? Although the militiamen in the Night Watch may appear to be positioned at random, Rembrandt has constructed the composition with great care. The drawing shows the positions and movement of the figures through the space, seen from above. The militiamen are coming out of the gate and moving towards us. The captain and the lieutenant form the vanguard, with two men directly in their wake. The man who is shooting behind the captain and the two girls are walking from left to right, crossing the line of movement of the militiamen.
Animation.

4
The next morning I went with my mother to the marketplace. Everybody was talking about the plunders. Apparently they were the enemy and they tried to destroy militia books. These books describe how to win a war by using firearms. My father's arquebus for example. An arquebus is a sixteenth-century long-barrelled. Because I knew all about it, I decided to tell Saskia all about it. Saskia is the wife of the famous Rembrandt van Rijn. She calls me her favourite little girl. As I entered her room she and Rembrandt where discussing a new assignment. He said he was going to paint my father's company; the Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch. He wasn't sure whether or not he would paint them in a neat row or sitting at their annual banquet. If I would have been him, I would have choosen the banquet because then there could be a feast afterwards.
I told Saskia I wanted to show her something but first she had to listen to my story. So I told her how I escaped the house last night, about the nasty dog and the silly drunkards. Then I told how brave my father was. How he and his company move into action and marched off to scare away those horrible men. Rembrandt could not get enough of my story and made me tell it again and again. He must admire the civic guards because he liked the part where they stormed through the gate and got into battling positions far out the most. Saskia smiled and encouraged me to go into detail on the 'gate scene'. She also gave me something to drink. I drank nothing because I wouldn't wait to show my treasure.

When I woke up, my host was repairing his clothes. I really dislike people who keep on running from here to there and never take a propper sleep. By then I had taken my decision to find myself another host.

Each member of the militia was obliged to supply his own weapons and uniform. Naturally, only the well-off could afford this. Every other year a new uniform would be ordered - in new colours and with the latest cut. Militiamen traditionally wore a richly decorated tabard and a cap.
A tabard is a long mantle. It forms part of the traditional militiaman's uniform. Civic guard tabards were also known as a 'pallure'. ('schutsrok') The pallure is actually a bastardisation of the French word 'parure', which means an ornament or jewel. It is a reminder that these tabards were often richly decorated with embroidery and frequently highly colourful. Moreover, militiamen often wore badges wiht the symbol of their company on their sleeves.

In the sixteenth century it became customary for militia companies to have group portraits painted. These militia paintings reveal the changing fashions: from traditional uniforms to modern dress. Militiamen often wore old-fashioned gorgets and cuirasses for these portraits.
A gorget is a wide, circular piece of metal worn about the neck and shoulders. Originally a piece of armour, in the 16th and 17th centuries the gorget was worn seperately, especially by officers. The gorget remained a prestigious article of dress untill the 19th century.
A cuirass forms part of a suit of armour. It is the breastplate, sometimes coupled with a backplate. Originally, cuirasses were made of leather - as the name implies (the French term 'cuirasse', comes from 'cuir', meaning leather). A soldier wearning a cuirass was known as a cuirassier. By the 17th century the cuirass was well on the way out. Today it is only worn on ceremonial occasions in Britain, Sweden and Italy.

5
Rembrandt got even more enthusiastic and asked me if I would like to be inside a painting with my father. I was a bit overwhelmed, but Saskia ensured me that they would keep my secret and that my family would be extremely proud. She said it would make her very happy.
So here I am. I am the girl with the golden dress in the foreground. Rembrandt painted me as one the most important and certainly most beautiful person in the painting. The painting by the way is named: This painting is entitled: The company of captain Frans Banning Cocq and luitenant Willem van Ruytenburch. (Het korporaalschap van kapitein Frans Banning Cocq en luitenant Willem van Ruytenburch.) .

In sixteenth-century militia paintings, the guardsmen are usually depicted in rows or sometimes seated around a table. In 1588, Cornelis Ketel painted the first group of militiamen full-length. Nicolaes Eliasz, a contemporary of Rembrandt's, combined seated and standing militiamen on a single canvas. In Rembrandt's Night Watch, the militiamen are milling around. They are talking and holding their weapons. Already on the move, Captain Banning Cocq is issuing orders to his lieutenant, Van Ruytenburch, for the company to march. It looks like a snapshot of a group in action rather than a posed portrait. This is what makes the Night Watch so radically different from other militia paintings.
This term is used to indicate that the subject portrayed is shown, in full, from head to toe.

How is the Night Watch composed? - the architecture in the foreground is more or less symmetrical - a number of militiamen are also symmetrically positioned - the captain and the lieutenant are standing just to the right of centre - this asymmetry brings tension to the picture: the eye draws both the men a little to the left, in the direction they are walking - this enhances the feeling of movement - the lines of a number of pole arms are equidistant: they connect the centre of the composition with the space outside the painting.

I had no clue I would find my host that same afternoon. His name was Rembrandt van Rijn. He appeared to be a famous painter with a warm-hearted wife. As soon as I saw Rembrandt, I jumped. As I was about to witness, Rembrandt was going to start painting one of his masterpieces: The company of captain Frans Banning Cocq and luitenant Willem van Ruytenburch. (Het korporaalschap van kapitein Frans Banning Cocq en luitenant Willem van Ruytenburch.) .

The names of the eighteen militiamen portrayed in the painting are on a shield above the gate. A company comprised more members, but only those who paid were included in the group portrait. The drummer was hired and was therefore allowed to be in the painting for free. Rembrandt added the others to enliven the painting. Three people on the left of the picture disappeared in the eighteenth century when part of the canvas was cut off. We are now only able to match a few names to the faces in the portrait.

6
Rembrandt made me their mascot.

The militiamen in the Night Watch are called Arquebusiers after the arquebus, a sixteenth-century long-barrelled gun. Rembrandt worked the traditional emblem of the Arquebusiers into the painting in a natural way: the girl in the foreground is carrying the main symbols. She is a kind of mascot in herself: the claws of the chicken (1) on her belt represent the 'Clauweniers'- Arquebusiers; the pistol (2) behind the chicken stands for 'clover'; moreover, she is holding the militia's goblet (3). The man in front of her is wearing a helmet with an oak leaf - a traditional motif of the Arquebusiers. Another subtle detail reveals these to be Amsterdam Arquebusiers: the three crosses of the Amsterdam coat of arms can be seen in the lapel of the lieutenant's jacket. Three tumbnails.

Because of the value of my story and my book, Wapenhandelinghe, Saskia gave me the golden dress when Rembrandt had finished the painting in 1642. I must be one of the most lucky girls in the world, but please don't tell this secret to anyone else. I don't want to be grounded for the rest of my life.

Rembrandt used, besides the figurant, his imagination to make such a lifely painting. Some of their clothes looks over the top and he has empathed their symbols.

Rembrandt was a master at depicting different materials. He used highly diverse ways of painting for different parts of the picture: sometimes with great precision, other times using rough brushstrokes; sometimes painting smoothly and sometimes using thick daubs of paint. Rembrandt often sacrificed accuracy for liveliness.

He also had difficulties getting parts of the painting right. He really would lose his temper.

Banning Cocq's hand and Van Ruytenburch's partisan appear to literally come out of the painting. This type of foreshortening is extremely difficult to paint. Rembrandt dealt brilliantly with this obstacle. The captain's hand is almost tangible. However, Rembrandt had more problems with Van Ruytenburch's gun. This is now clear from X-rays of the painting. The partisan was far too large in Rembrandt's first version and had to be corrected a number of times. Rembrandt usually painted directly onto the canvas without preparatory sketches. A good example of this method is his portrait of the 'Sampling Officials' of 1662.
Since the Renaissance many artists have made use of the science of perspective to represent a three-dimensional subject on a flat surface. As we perceive them, objects look smaller the further they are from us. To create an illusion of space therefore the artist must also represent the objects or people in the distance as being smaller, according to specific proportions. The most difficult thing is to reproduce long objects or parts of the body that are at right angles to the surface of the painting and which are as it were pointed at the viewer, for instance a spear or an arm reaching out. To approximate the way we see such objects they have to be depicted 'foreshortened'. In proportion then they occupy only a small part of the canvas. In some cases the foreshortening is applied so forcibly that it feels a little exaggerated.

He kept on looking in a horrible smelling book, named Wapenhandelinghe. I wonder how he got a hold of that book.

Rembrandt showed a few of the musketeers in action: before, during and after firing. For the details of the action he probably consulted the illustrations in 'Wapenhandelinghe', a book on drill by Jacques de Gheyn. This manual, with its engravings of military exercises appeared in 1607.
Engraving is the earlierst form of print making. A copperplate engraving is made by scratching the design onto the copper with a burin - a steel needle with a wooden handle. The engraver works away from the body, producing regular lines ending in a characteristic point. Ink applied to the copperplate enters the incised lines and is transferred to the paper with a press - the deeper the cut, the danker the line. Hatching and cross-hatching are used to create halftones and shadows. A single engraving can be used for some 300 high-quality and 300 reasonable prints. After that, the copperplate becomes too worn.

I didn't stay long. After Saskia, Rembrandt's wife, died. I left with one of the figurants off to a new adventure.