1642

Class 05 | 11/08/2023

Project Proposal

Title:
1642.
It is a project that animates Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch’,  and synchronizes the process with immersive sounds from the classical music, offering a grand, theatrical experience that combines visual and audio elements for a dramatic and immersive experience.

Keywords:

  • The Night Watch

  • Rembrandt

  • Baroque Music

  • Multimedia

  • Projection

  • Animation

  • Historical Accuracy

  • AI Generation

  • Immersive Experience

  • Craftsmanship

Central Question:

How might we create immersive experiences that seamlessly integrate Baroque music into Rembrandt’s painting ‘The Night watch’ to enhance a sense of enchantment and emotional connection, transforming audiences into active participants in the harmonious narrative of the painting and melody?

Motivation:

Through this project, I hope to showcase my heartfelt tribute and homage to the dedication and exceptional craftsmanship of the old masters, particularly exemplified in Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch,' aiming to breathe new life into their artistry by seamlessly blending digital innovation through AI generation, intricate soundtracks of Baroque Music, and historical accuracy.

Intended Audience:

Crafted for admirers of oil painting and new media art, this immersive experience is tailored to individuals who appreciate art in an intentional setting. The goal is to foster a profound connection, encouraging the audience to engage deeply with the masterpiece, moving beyond the typical screen interaction, and fostering a more meaningful appreciation that transcends the impulse to merely capture a photo or video before leaving.

Reference: 

  • Books:

    1. Koot, A.W.C. “Rembrandt’s Night watch. its history and Adventures.” Amsterdam: J. M. Meulenhoff, 1949.

    2. Berger, Harry. “Manhood, Marriage, and Mischief: Rembrandt's 'Night Watch' and Other Dutch Group Portraits.” New York, USA: Fordham University Press, 2006. https://doi-org.proxy.library.nyu.edu/10.1515/9780823292127.

    3. Hofstede de Groot, C. (Cornelis)., Visser, M. C. (1906). “Die Urkunden über Rembrandt (1575-1721).” Haag: M. Nijhoff.

    4. Marieke de. Winkel. “Fashion and fancy : dress and meaning in Rembrandt's paintings.” Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2006.

    5. Gary Schwartz. “The Night Watch.” Waanders Publishers, 2002

    6. Larry Silver. “Rembrandt’s Holland” Reaktion Books, Jan 15, 2018

  • Journal Articles:

    1. O’Connell, George. “Rembrandt van Rijn.” Art Education 14, no. 5 (1961): 8–12. https://doi.org/10.2307/3186598.

    2. GERSHMAN, ZHENYA. “Rembrandt: The ‘I’ Witness.” Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics 19, no. 2 (2011): 65–91. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41308565.

    3. Binstock, Benjamin. “Rembrandt’s Paint.” RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics, no. 36 (1999): 138–65. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20167480.

    4. Rosen, Jochai. “THE GUARDROOM SCENE: A VISUAL SOURCE FOR REMBRANDT’S ‘NIGHT WATCH.’” Source: Notes in the History of Art 28, no. 4 (2009): 32–39. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23208582.

    5. Heel, S. A. C. Dudok van. “Frans Banninck Cocq’s Troop in Rembrandt’s ‘Night Watch’: The Identification of the Guardsmen.” The Rijksmuseum Bulletin 57, no. 1 (2009): 42–87. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40383630.

    6. Rosen, Jochai. “The Dutch Guardroom Scene of the Golden Age: A Definition.” Artibus et Historiae 27, no. 53 (2006): 151–74. https://doi.org/10.2307/20067114.

    7. VERHOOGT, ROBERT. “‘Works of Patience and Love’: The Engravings by Johan Wilhelm Kaiser (1813-1900) after Rembrandt’s ‘Syndics’ and ‘Night Watch’ and Bartholomeus van Der Helst’s ‘Civic Guard Banquet.’” The Rijksmuseum Bulletin 60, no. 3 (2012): 234–67. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41703572.

  • Videos & Audios:

    1. “Rembrandt: Smart Secrets of Great Paintings.” Films On Demand. 2016. https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=237298&xtid=143637.

    2. “The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn.” https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2y2130.

    3. “Lecture 4: The Night Watch: Rembrandt, Group Portraiture, and Dutch History.” Yale University Art Gallery. 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rxO-Xd-5jY

    4. “Operation Night Watch: Research and Treatment of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch in the Rijksmuseum.” Yale University Art Gallery. 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16MAmiDDJkg.

    5. "Merck toch hoe sterck" - Dutch Patriotic War Song.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl5yRIfNuWQ&t=2s

  • Websites:

    1. Open University. "Dutch Painting in the Golden Age." OpenLearn, https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/dutch-painting-the-golden-age/content-section-4.1

    2. "Kloveniersdoelen, Amsterdam." Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kloveniersdoelen,_Amsterdam

    3. Rijksmuseum. https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en

    4. Rembrandt Research Project. http://rembrandtresearchproject.com

    5. NIGHTWATCH3D. http://www.nightwatch3d.com/information.htm

    6. The Costume Institute, The Met. https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/the-costume-institute

    7. FIT. https://www.fitnyc.edu

    8. CODART. https://www.codart.nl

Form:

  • Idea 1: Video.

  • Idea 2: Projection on single canvas.

  • Idea 3: Projection on multiple canvases.

Production Plan:

  1. I have already met with a few professors from NYU's art history and music departments and had discussions about my thesis. The conversations have been extremely helpful and informative. I will take more time to study 17th-century costume history and try to find images to feed AI when I need to fill the characters in the background. For the rest of this semester and the beginning of the next semester, I will continue meeting with some of the professors. Meanwhile, I will keep working on the deconstruction of the painting, as well as testing the AI’s ability to aid in filling the characters in the painting. There will be multiple iterations. 

  2. I will continue working on the project during the winter break if time permits. For the spring semester, the layers should be completed already. I will start layering the scene and the characters and then test the results with the three forms mentioned above, and then make the decision on the final form. This will take a few weeks. The rest of the spring semester will be fully devoted to production. More details will follow.