The Night Watch in Wood

195,000 pixels · 52 wood species · 4 years

Created by Jakko Woudenberg, The Night Watch in Wood is a monumental contemporary interpretation of Rembrandt's iconic masterpiece. Every pixel individually selected and placed by hand, cut diagonally from face grain wood to reveal the grain at its most expressive.

Measuring 535 × 425 × 18 cm, the artwork occupies more than 20 square metres. Its modular construction allows both horizontal and vertical exhibition. Presented horizontally, it becomes a stage — an artwork that can be performed on, spoken from, and stood upon.

Unlike the original in the Rijksmuseum, which was cut down on all four sides in 1715 to fit its new location in Amsterdam's Town Hall, The Night Watch in Wood shows the complete composition as Rembrandt intended it.

More than a tribute, it tells two stories at once — Rembrandt's masterpiece and Jakko's perspective on it. About connection, craftsmanship, creativity, adventure, and the universal human desire to be seen. From a distance, you recognise the masterpiece. Up close, you discover the craftsmanship behind it.

Exhibited at Station Amstel, Amsterdam · WorldSkills the Finals, NL · NWFA Convention, Orlando, USA