The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-01-14
GREAT REMBRANDT SLASHED
HiS UITH 1 GRTEI iNfE W.
TIT.tYUS tSTERPTE(E
Coos Discharged From Dutch Navy Takes
Ills Rev eugr In Amsterdam Museum
Caught In the Act Experts Hope
Famous Painting May lsr Repaired.


AMSTERDAM. Jan. 10 THE Night
Watch" Remhrandts famous painting,
was slashed with knife o.day by "A man
named Sigrst. who was in the Riiks
Museum. The vaudal, who was arrested.
declares that he committed the act 10 get
even with the state because of his dis
charge from the navy, in which he for
merlv served - Il cook
The cuts run through the principal
figures of Capt. Coeqs company. but art
experts briev" that the damage can be
repaired.
No painting of Remlrandts Is better
known than The Night Watch" so called.
though it has nothing so do with night,
II has always proved great favorite
with tn" public. whose "stiuat" of II
has enjoyed the support oi Ra"d"ker's
llandbook on Holland. in which it is spoken
of IA "R.mbrandt's greatest work The
opinion of the painters. however has
given this place to the "Syndic." paint
ing also with a number OF figures the
syndiCs of the Clothmakcr5 Guild. or the
S'aalm""st' OF Amsterdam Of a charm
ing golden brown tone. The Night
Watch" Is a p;inting of a larger number
of figures. officers and members of capt.
Franz Banning Cocas company of citizen
musiot".rs and although a great work
of art and on. Of R"iifhraudt's greatest
productions, it marked the beginning
of his downfall as IA popular portrait
painter
II" had been commissioned to paint
th" portrait of each of the men who ap-
prai in IL at 100 tlOrir- each Naturally
enough each man expected To hav" equal
prominence" Ia the completed picture.
and when IL was found that the painter
had So arranged his composition that the
light and eject was centred pu ono or
two OF th" musket."rs. friend, of the
others w"rn annoyed. and dil Just what
p"opl. do NOWADAYS when prid" - siml-
larlv hurt; they started what amounted
TO a boycott Of Rembrandt and the grea,
PAINTERS fortunes declined. though h..
h"ing dead vet livrth, ard the musketeerS
lv" only through him II was painted
in iGi2 ia" scene is "A lofty vault.d hall
! from which the company einerges. and
Rembrandt arranged his composition
that ia" only light comes from unseen
sources from above and from an in
/ Nl~ihl" window AZ the left a scheme
doubtless adapted to tn" position for
which ia" painting was originally des-
tined II l. not night at all. hiit this
arrangement ot tn" light, with the semi
obsC,irity of the figures on whom 1t Is
not centred, gave rls" TO the name by
which the canvas is popularly known.
"Ih" Night Watch
/ Even with no definite word in vcster-
tardav afternoon : cabl" d"spatc ches as
| tn tn" exact course or nature of the wound
/ to th" canvas. painters and other eX-erts
IN New York We're quite ready to mingle
hop" with their regret over the catastro-
/ ph". hop" that evidences of tn. mis-
"rcants work can be successfully ohlit-
Grated II Is almost impossible. in the
fac" OF tn" adel,tn"ss of restorers to-day,
SO TO ini'ir" painting unless 10y fire
and not always then painters say. that
( II cannot b. restored 10 such "a degree
! that tn" damage, particularly in case of
"A ,ut. will olude any but the keenest.
most expert scrutiny. Usually "a canvas
will be- refined. the crack filled with a
simple preparation of whiting and blue
or something else. and the damaged strip
then painted in the colors and the tone
of tn. original With the hopeful word
reported Yesterday from the experts in
| Amsterdam, therefore. the expectation
Impressed her. was that the great Rem
! brandt will he. StlccsSsfully r,.paireI