How did Rembrandt so precisely illuminate figures in his 1642 masterpiece “The Night Watch” and other works?
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August 01, 2024

How did Rembrandt so precisely illuminate figures in his 1642 masterpiece “The Night Watch” and other works? Now, we finally know the answer to this longstanding mystery, thanks to the dedicated work of scientists. Get the gist of the findings in our report.

Also today: Reviews Editor Natalie Haddad on Tamuna Sirbiladze’s visceral portraits of womanhood, Debra Brehmer on a Nicole Eisenman survey at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Dinh Q. Lê’s arresting photographic tapestries, and our picks of art shows to see in Upstate New York in August.

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Scientists Crack the Code of Rembrandt’s Golden Luster

New research into the pigments used in “The Night Watch” (1642) illuminates how the Dutch artist achieved his signature glistening details. | Rhea Nayyar

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FROM OUR CRITICS

The Fury and Failings of a Nicole Eisenman Survey

En masse, Eisenman’s paintings feel weighty and overwrought, as if too many ideas had become tangled and sucked up all the air, like a one-way conversation. | Debra Brehmer

Tamuna Sirbiladze’s Visions of Wrenching Intimacy

In Not Cool but Compelling, the artist's works churn with the turmoil of life, like emotions sketched in real time. | Natalie Haddad

MORE ON HYPERALLERGIC

How Dinh Q. Lê Unpacked Belonging Through Weaving

In his “Self Portrait #5,” headed to auction in August, the artist forcibly inserts himself and his culture into areas that didn’t intend to include him. | Rhea Nayyar

8 Shows to See in Upstate New York This August

Pauline Decarmo’s triumphant canvases, Mary Lucier’s sun-seeking video installation, Edward Merritt’s recycled botanics, Dani Klebe’s country cabin installation, and more. | Taliesin Thomas

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Of All Stripes: Designing the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics

Designer Deborah Sussman — with her husband, architect Paul Prejza — colored the city with environmental graphics that buoyantly exuded the hues of the diverse cultures in LA. | Allison Meier

IN MEMORIAM

Isabel Bigelow (1966–2024)
Landscape painter and printmaker | Sears-Peyton Gallery

Carole Condé (1940–2024)
Conceptual artist who challenged structures of ideology and power | Artists' Books and Multiples

Darryl “Joe Cool” Daniel (1968–2024)
Cover illustrator for iconic Snoop Dogg album | New York Times

Alastair Laing (1944–2024)
Art historian at the National Trust in the United Kingdom | Telegraph

Tony “Doc” Shiels (1938–2024)
Artist who claimed to have summoned the Loch Ness monster | Guardian

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