Rembrandt: arms and armor in his work

Jim McDougall · 18th February 2011, 03:45 AM

Thank you Jens! LOL, on the katar note

now that would be some REALLY interesting evidence in that quest!!!

Michael, thank you so much for adding the so called 'Night Watch', and of course this truly is your field, art and weapons. I always look forward to your pointing out key points in the weapons portrayed.
In reading on this painting, it was interesting to find that the event was apparantly actually in daylight, but darkened with age and eventually given the 'night watch' moniker. It seems like these militia groups were pretty much like mens clubs, and there are apparantly a number of other similar themed paintings by some of Rembrandts contemporaries, of these units, I saw I think two others in A.V.B. Normans book.

Do you agree that these kinds of paintings would likely have been using the mens own weapons, as in portraits, rather than studio props?

Fernando, thank you so much for adding this cabasset, and that does seem like a good possibility as well. The scenario of the one you describe being covered in black pitch of course brings to mind the famed "Maltese Falcon" of classic movies, the gold bird painted black. This does present possibilities of course for this very ornate helmet (or one of its type) having been captured by the Dutch, and perhaps whichever individual in Rembrandts circle who painted this may have seen the gold one, and painted from there. Again, possibly a 'dead color' prototype (a formatted image without coloring) might have been embellished with this gold helmet rather than the simple cabasset which was probably in Rembrandt's collection.

It does reveal that these highly decorated and gold colored, if not gold itself, helmets were certainly around even if in limited number.

All best wishes,
Jim

18th February 2011, 03:45 AM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,191	Thank you Jens! LOL, on the katar note now that would be some REALLY interesting evidence in that quest!!! Michael, thank you so much for adding the so called 'Night Watch', and of course this truly is your field, art and weapons. I always look forward to your pointing out key points in the weapons portrayed. In reading on this painting, it was interesting to find that the event was apparantly actually in daylight, but darkened with age and eventually given the 'night watch' moniker. It seems like these militia groups were pretty much like mens clubs, and there are apparantly a number of other similar themed paintings by some of Rembrandts contemporaries, of these units, I saw I think two others in A.V.B. Normans book. Do you agree that these kinds of paintings would likely have been using the mens own weapons, as in portraits, rather than studio props? Fernando, thank you so much for adding this cabasset, and that does seem like a good possibility as well. The scenario of the one you describe being covered in black pitch of course brings to mind the famed "Maltese Falcon" of classic movies, the gold bird painted black. This does present possibilities of course for this very ornate helmet (or one of its type) having been captured by the Dutch, and perhaps whichever individual in Rembrandts circle who painted this may have seen the gold one, and painted from there. Again, possibly a 'dead color' prototype (a formatted image without coloring) might have been embellished with this gold helmet rather than the simple cabasset which was probably in Rembrandt's collection. It does reveal that these highly decorated and gold colored, if not gold itself, helmets were certainly around even if in limited number. All best wishes, Jim