Masterpieces of the golden age

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, better known by his first name Rembrandt, is the most famous of the Dutch Golden Age painters, and one of the greatest artists of all time.

The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch, better known as The night watch, is Rembrandt's masterpiece. It is a militia painting, but quite unlike the many other militia paintings from this era. Militia paintings are usually static, with people standing in rows, or seated at a banquet. The night watch is dynamic, a group of men in action. Also special is the lighting, effectively used to draw attention to Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch in the centre, and the girl on the left.

Due to the darkening over time of the varnish on the painting's surface, the painting looked like a night scene - hence its nickname night watch. The darkened varnish has been removed in the 1940s.

Girl with a pearl earring, also known as Girl with a turban, is Vermeer's most popular painting. A young woman with a turban and a pearl earring, looking over her shoulder to see who's standing behind her.

The painting is probably not a portrait (Dutch women did not wear turbans), but a so-called tronie, a study of a head. Vermeer probably used a model for this painting, but it is unknown who she was.

The Jewish bride is one of Rembrandt's most famous paintings, but it is unclear who are depicted. In the early 19th century, someone identified the people on the painting as a Jewish father, hanging a necklace around his daughter's neck on her wedding day. The painting has been known as The Jewish bride ever since, even though nowadays nobody doubts the people on the painting are a couple, and not a bride with her father.

The "official" name of the painting is Portrait of two figures from the Old Testament.

Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) was not a very prolific painter - fewer than 40 of his paintings are known, and it is unlikely he painted many more than those. Most of his works, including The milk maid, are of domestic interior scenes, possibly of his own house.

Frans Hals (1580/81-1666) was a master of portrait painting. His work also includes large group portraits, but he really shines in portraits of individuals.

This portrait is known as the Gypsy girl, but is probably the portrait of a prostitute.

The Amsterdam surgeon's guild organized an annual anatomy demonstration, aimed at their members, but (paying) visitors were also welcome. They used the body of an executed criminal. In this painting, Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, a well-known surgeon, shows the muscles of an arm to his colleagues.

The corpse belonged to Aris Kindt, a notorious Leiden criminal. He had been hanged and his body was made available for scientific research.

Aelbert Cuyp (1620-1691) was mostly a landscape painter. He usually painted in the area around Dordrecht.

Jan Steen (1626-1679) is well-known for his paintings of cheerful groups in chaotic environments. The merry family, his best-known work, is a prime example of this.

The bull is Potter's best known work. It is a huge (235x339cm), but extremely detailed picture of a young bull. He originally painted a smaller picture, with only the bull, but later enlarged it by sewing pieces of linen to the top and the sides, adding the farmer, cow and sheep on the left, and cattle grazing in the distance on the right. It is unclear whether the painting was a commission.