day watch
27/06/2008 at 02:48
Category:
bronze girl place rembrandtplein statue tourist
Rambrandt's famous 1642 painting was transformed into three life-size-bronze dimensions by two Russian sculptors for the artist's 400th birthday in 2006. Twenty-two men, woman, children and even a dog stand each in their own frozen Han Solo moment in time. "The Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenhurch" was the painting's debut title however after a few centuries the varnished surface appeared more like night and not until the 1940's was the painting fully restored and redubbed "Day Watch."
I did some watching of my own at this monument of the Dutch golden age, which I found is quite the tourist attraction. It seems the band of soldiers were not intending to stay, however, due to their popularity the local merchants fought to keep them around.
Some mistake the sculptures for a jungle gym and climb all over the guns, swords and out stretched arms. Most stand stunned by the life-like qualities of each character. They move in for closer inspection. Then they move back. This goes on and on until their fascination is usually broken by some other spectacle happening in close proximity; a musician performing elsewhere on the square or a bike tour filing past one by one.
Today, it was the couple fully making-out on the grass sitting next to me. The circle of Spaniards behind us, waiting for their country to play Russia in the Euro2008 semifinal, didn't seem to notice. Neither did other groups having lunch close by seem to mind. But the Night Watch 3D gawkers studied the statues then the lip locked couple then the statues, their heads bouncing back and fourth like they were watching a game of ping pong. The awkwardness faded as the couple quit kissing and wondered away still tied up in each others arms.
I noticed visitors usually fall into two categories: poser and photographer and rarely trade position. There seems to be favorite places to be photographed with the militia. Mostly they hold the out stretched hand of the Captain or stand proudly next to the drummer (who evidently didn't have to pay to be in the portrait like the others - maybe there's a connection). "Excuse me Mr. Bouncer, I'm with the DJ."