So, art and artists. Rembrandt: Dutch Master of Masters. His famous piece has hung in the Rijks Museum in the Netherlands for years as the center piece of its renowned collection. At 15' X 13', it is a very large effort, filled with a number of figures who represent the locals, several of whom are representing those citizens who patrol the streets of the city after dark to protect people and property from nefarious brigands who might take liberties among the populace under cover of darkness.
The guards, on patrol, carry arms, and are preparing their muskets for readiness in case needed. One guard is seen sending a ramrod into the barrel of his musket, sending home the ball, patch, and cotton wad. The powder is applied at the shoulder piece along with the flint. A slow practice, for sure, but necessary at the time for firing a single shot over a short distance.
The museum's staff was aware that the original canvas had been trimmed: more than 2' had been cut off the left side, several inches off the top, and about 2 inches off the right side to make the whole fit a certain location. With the help of artificial intelligence and computers, a program was developed to recreate the missing spaces. Much help was made using a canvas created about 12 years after the original, using Rembrandt's techniques. Although smaller in size over all, the restoration team was able to 'teach' the computer to replicate those areas. After printing the missing areas, they were attached to metal plates, varnished, and were ready to be hung with the original. After 3 + years of work, the project is now complete and will give the world a "new" restored piece for the ages.
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