ers, it was to
take its place among others by contemporary painters, as a portrait
group in honor of the officers of the year, and as a lasting memorial
of their services. The other pictures had been stiff groups about a
table, and the novelty of Rembrandt's composition displeased some of
the members of the guild. Each person who figures in the scene had
subscribed a certain sum towards the cost of the picture for his own
portrait, and was anxious to get his money's worth. Consequently,
there were many who did not at all relish their insignificance in the
background, quite overshadowed by the glory of the captain and
lieutenant. They thought they would have shown to much better
advantage arranged in rows.

It was Rembrandt's way when painting a portrait to give life and
reality to the figure, by showing the leading element in the character
or occupation of the person. Thus his shipbuilder is designing a ship,
the writing master, Coppenol, is mending a pen, the architect has his
drawing utensils, and the preacher his Bible. So in the Civic Guard
each man carries a weapon, and the figures are united in spirited
action. All this artistic motive was lost upon those for whom the
picture was painted, because of their petty vanity. So the great
painting, now so highly esteemed, was not a success at the time.

In the following century it was removed to the town hall; and in order
to fit it into a particular place on the wall, a strip was cut off
each side the canvas. It is the loss of these margins which gives the
composition the crowded appearance which so long seemed a strange
fault in a great artist like Rembrandt.

The original colors of the painting grew so dark with the accumulation
of smoke in the hall that the critics supposed the scene occurred at
night, hence the incorrect name of the Night Watch was given to it.
Since the picture was cleaned, in 1889, it is apparent that the
incident occurred in the daytime, and if you look carefully you can
plainly see the shadow of Captain Cocq's hand on the lieutenant's
tunic.

XII

PORTRAIT OF JAN SIX

When the painter Rembrandt came to Amsterdam in 1631, a young man
seeking his fortune in the great city, a lad of twelve years was
living in his father's country seat, near by, who was later to become
one of his warm friends. This was Jan Six, the subject of the portrait
etching reproduced here. There was a great contrast in the
circumstances of life in which the t