Nightwatch at the Netherlands Cancer Institute

At the back of the hall, a life-sized replica of the Nightwatch will be on display for the coming two weeks. This allows patients, visitors, and employees to meet the world-famous Rembrandt.

“Nightwatch on tour”, is the name of the Rijksmuseum’s initiative. In collaboration with Philips, the museum takes the Nightwatch to various hospitals and assisted living facilities as of July 2020, to allow people who might not otherwise be able to visit the museum to see a life-sized version of the art. This is a unique opportunity for patients, visitors, and employees at the NKI, especially now museums have closed during lockdown.

Board of Directors member Marien van der Meer is proud to be able to display the masterpiece at the NKI: “Art can offer inspiration, distraction, and a sense of peace. We are grateful to the Rijksmuseum and Philips to allow us to bring the Nightwatch closer to our patients, visitors, and staff.”

The NKI also has its own art collection: “The Nightwatch is a temporary addition to our own NKI art collection. Contemporary art by Dutch artists like Claudy Jongstra is displayed at various locations throughout the NKI. The collection can now be viewed at MyAntonet and is definitely worth a visit.”

Annemies Broekgaarden of the Rijksmuseum: “The Rijksmuseum is from and for everybody. It is important to us that even the people who may not be able to visit the museum can still access our cultural heritage. That’s why we came up with the initiative to take the Nightwatch on tour to various hospitals and assisted living facilities.”