Rembrandt Conservation Histories

Important masterpieces in museum collections, such as the paintings by Rembrandt, often have the dubious honor of having undergone numerous conservation treatments in the past. Because of the significance of the paintings, these treatments are generally well documented. For example, The Anatomy Lesson of Dt Nicolaes Tulp has undergone 23 documented treatments, while those of The Night Watch amount to 25. Rembrandt’s paintings are found in major collections all over the world. Every country has its own traditions, developments and approaches to conservation with important restorers having played a key role in the treatment and appearance of Rembrandt paintings. In Rembrandt Conservation Histories, experts address aspects relating to the conservation history of paintings by Rembrandt and other 17th-century Dutch masters, raising awareness of how the appearance and condition of paintings by Rembrandt can be explained in part by their treatment history.