In 1642, Rembrandt van Rijn completed his most famous painting, officially titled Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq, but universally known as The Night Watch. The monumental work (363 × 437 cm) broke with the convention of static group portraits by depicting the militia company in dynamic motion, as if captured mid-action. Rembrandt's dramatic use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), the sense of movement, and the psychological depth of the figures made it a revolutionary work. The painting hangs in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it remains the centerpiece of the collection.
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