A Painting Under Siege
Three attacks, spread across the twentieth century
Image: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
- Repair Cost
- Years of restoration
- Curator's Blood Pressure
- 97%
- Embarrassment Level
- 5/10
- Recovered?
- Restored (traces remain)
- Selfie Involved?
- No
Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch' has been knifed (1911), slashed with a bread knife into dozens of zigzag cuts (1975), and sprayed with sulfuric acid (1990) — surviving all three.
One of the most celebrated paintings in the world is also one of the most frequently attacked. In 1911 an unemployed shoemaker slashed it, claiming divine instruction. In 1975 a schoolteacher carved deep zigzag cuts across the vast canvas; restoration took years and faint traces remain visible today.
Then in 1990 a visitor sprayed the surface with acid, and only the quick thinking of staff — who drenched it with water — prevented permanent damage. After more than three centuries, 'The Night Watch' stands as proof that masterpieces require constant vigilance, not only against time, but against people.