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
Armani Beach villas

First Armani Beach Villas Launched in Ras Al Khaimah

Giorgio Armani and RAK Properties launch the first Armani-branded villas in the world

6 design-led museums in the UAE

Here are the current and upcoming design-led museums in the UAE that you should know about

What are the bathroom trends in 2025?

Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard unveil a fresh perspective on bathroom design for 2025

identity Design Awards 2025 | Submissions open

identity Design Awards 2025 is now open for submissions

Access our submissions link, criteria, deadlines, and checklist here.

A Sensory Escape

Soft pastels, natural materials and artistic craftmanship take centre stage at Villa Miraé

Things to Covet – Summer 2025

Here are the bold and statement pieces that caught our eye this month

A Ruin Turned Intimate Retreat

Tucked away in the Andalusian countryside near Gaucín, a small town located between Marbella and Gibraltar, Cortijo Genesis in Spain has recently been renovated by Victoria-Maria Geyer

A Parisian Touch

Interior designer Juliette Spencer of Atelier RO revives a storied pre-war apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with an elegant fusion of New York structure and French soul.

A Local Connection with a ‘70s Twist

Designed by Barcelona-based studio El Equipo Creativo, the newly renovated Kimpton Los Monteros hotel in Marbella, Spain is deeply inspired by Marbella’s rich landscape and cultural heritage.

Roar global consulting firm

A bold exploration of culture, nature, and the future of work by Roar

Roar has recently designed a new office for a global consulting firm that boldly reimagines the UAE's landscapes and cultural heritage into a workplace

Dare to be Bold

“No one does colour quite like Caroline Stanbury,” shares Kate Instone, Founder and Creative Director of Blush International

Zaha Hadid Foundation launches scholars program

The Zaha Hadid Foundation partners with the American University of Beirut to support the next generation of architectural talent.