Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn - The Night Wat

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Inspired by: Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn - The Night Watch

The Night Watch acquired its title in the 1790s. By then the painting’s varnish had darkened so much it looked like a night scene. Before then it was known by several titles, one being The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch. Captain Cocqcommissioned the painting of his men, but only 18 of the 34 characters in the painting are portraits, the remaining are symbolic.

In 1642 the painting was hung in the club house of the civil militia. It stayed there for 70 years. In 1715 the painting was moved from there to the Town Hall. It didn’t fit there so it was cropped on all four sides to fit between the building’s narrow columns. Fortunately, Cocq had ordered a small copy to be made and The Riksmuseum used this smaller version to recreate the missing parts, which can now be seen again (the Santa Classic is the old version of the painting).
Rembrandt loved to stick himself and family members in his paintings. He is way in the back, and all you can see is his profile from the neck up. The little girl who functions symbolically as the group' mascot is daughter Saskia. Son Titus’ ear is just behind her.
Museum fires have caused the loss of great works of art, so Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum has gone to great lengths to protect Rembrandt’s masterpiece. To preserve The Night Watch in emergencies, in 1934 the Rijksmuseum installed a trap door complete with escape slide. 
To see the original: https://bit.ly/4jSxLAf

Jacques-Louis David - Napoleon Crossing the Alps

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Inspired by: Jacques-Louis David - Napoleon Crossing the Alps

This was the first of five versions of this painting. When Napoleon became the First Consul he attempted to make peace with Charles IV of Spain. While talks were underway to re-establish diplomatic relations, a traditional exchange of gifts took place. Charles received Versailles-manufactured pistols, dresses and jewels for the queen from the best Parisian designers. In return Napoleon was offered sixteen Spanish horses from the royal stables, portraits of the king and queen by Goya, and this portrait that was to be commissioned rom David. Charles decided to hang it in the palace in Madrid, so Bonaparte instructed David to produce three additional versions. David threw in an extra for himself. This version remained in Madrid until 1812, when it was taken by Joseph Bonaparte after his abdication as King of Spain. During his exile in the United States it hung at his Point Breeze estate near Bordentown, NJ. In truth, this is a pretentious depiction of the event, since Napoleon crossed the Alps on a mule and instead of leading his army into battle, he followed them.

To see the original:bit.ly/4c98K06

Gustave Caillebotte - Paris Street; Rainy Day

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Inspired by: Gustave Caillebotte - Paris Street; Rainy Day

This painting depicts the aftermath of Baron Haussmann’s controversial plan to renovate Paris. His wide boulevards replaced many of the beloved buildings of the city. Caillebotte was in the camp of those who hated his plan, and what it would do to the Parisians. The scene is a grey rainy day, the colors almost monochromatic, which instills a glum feeling in his figures. The canvas is monumental, almost eight feet across, which allows you to study the individual characters. and some are quite whimsical. Two legs of a man appear under an umbrella, there is a man carrying a ladder through the streets, and a woman who is opening an umbrella which seems to be shoved it into the head of the main character. Caillebotte was very wealthy. His father made a fortune supplying Napoleon's army with uniforms, and Gustave inherited that fortune at age 26. He was a close friend of many of the Impressionists, and funded and curated their exhibitions. He loaned them money (in fact, he paid the rent on Monet's studio for a while.) Most importantly, he bought their paintings for top dollar, amassing a collection of more than seventy works of Impressionist friends. His death at the young age of forty-five brought an abrupt end to an evolving career. He donated his Impressionist paintings as well as many of his own to the French State. The bequest specified that all the works should be displayed in the Louvre Museum. This was somewhat problematic, as his art was still not accepted widely by the mainstream artistic establishment.

To see original: https://bit.ly/4bw3KlE