Close

Restoring Rembrandt

The Night Watch to be restored as museum visitors watch.

Beginning on July 8, 2019, a delicate and innovative restoration process will begin on one of the world’s most celebrated masterpieces, Rembrandt’s The Night Watch.  A team of researchers, conservators, restorers and colour specialists from AkzoNobel will employ a series of ground-breaking tools, while the 377-year-old painting remains on view through a special glass chamber at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Visitors, as well as the rest of the world, will be able to watch the scientists up close through live, online streaming.

Special scanners will examine cracks and crevices while pigments will be examined at the nano level using a hi-tech laser. Over 11,000 photographs will be taken with a resolution of 5,430 dpi during the three-year partnership between AkzoNobel and the Rijksmuseum.

“We’re about to rock the world of paintings conservation and do things that have never been attempted before,” says Robert van Langh, the Rijksmuseum’s Head of Conservation and Science. “We’re confident we’ll take our understanding of paint to the next level – and I don’t just mean one level, I’m talking three or four levels.”

Thierry Vanlancker and Taco Dibbits

The Latest

Revealed: The venue and date for the identity Design Awards 2025

Save the date for the much awaited gala night.

Crate & Barrel x Jake Arnold The Hartford 90 Wood Outdoor Sofa by Jake Arnold

Conscious design, textural sophistication, and seasonal comfort: What Crate & Barrel and CB2 bring to the GCC with New Stores and Collection

With fresh openings in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, Crate & Barrel and CB2 unveil a Fall/Winter collection that blends tactile design, sustainability, and exclusive collaborations, bringing global style closer to regional homes.

Surface Appeal

Global surfaces leader Cosentino launches four new quartzite options in the Sensa range

Dubai Design Week 2025

Dubai Design Week 2025 reveals an exciting 11th edition programme

Taking place from 4-9 November 2025, Dubai Design Week this year centres around community.

Rooted in Stillness

Casa Tranquilo by DADO offers an immersive retreat into nature

Treetop Sanctuary

The Ritz-Carlton’s intimate treetop retreat offers a rare invitation to connect deeply with nature and culture

Desert Counterpoint

In Summerlin, Nevada, Faulkner Architects and Concept Lighting Lab have revealed a desert home that withstands extremities

On Building to Last

We interview selected architects and interior designers to talk about balancing permanence and progress across their projects

The Culture of Quality

A conversation with Maryam Raeisi, Managing Director of HMA Living by Al Shamsi

What to expect at Feria Habitat Valencia

This year’s fair is set to take place between 29 September and 2 October

ARTDOM Expands to the Middle East

Daria Zolotova, founder of ARTDOM, discusses the brand’s upcoming first major art forum congress, being held at Riyadh on 11-12 November 2025

A Perfect Balance

A bespoke villa in Dubai Hills Grove designed by XBD Collective blends contemporary elegance with high-end craftsmanship