WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY

The Night-Watch at Amsterdam is magnificent in parts, but on the side to the spectator’s right, smoky and dim.  The Five Masters of the Drapers is wonderful for depth, strength, brightness, massive power.  What words are these to express a picture! to describe a description!  I once saw a moon riding in the sky serenely, attended by her sparkling maids of honour, and a little lady said, with an air of great satisfaction, “I must sketch it.”  Ah, my dear lady, if with an H.B., a Bristol board, and a bit of india-rubber, you can sketch the firmament on high, and the moon in her glory, I make you my compliment!  I can’t sketch The Five Drapers with any ink or pen at present at command—­but can look with all my eyes, and be thankful to have seen such a masterpiece.

They say he was a moody, ill-conditioned man, the old tenant of the mill.  What does he think of the “Van der Helst” which hangs opposite his Night-Watch, and which is one of the great pictures of the world?  It is not painted by so great a man as Rembrandt; but there it is—­to see it is an event of your life.  Having beheld it you have lived in the year 1648, and celebrated the Treaty of Muenster.  You have shaken the hands of the Dutch Guardsmen, eaten from their platters, drunk their Rhenish, heard their jokes, as they wagged their jolly beards.  The Amsterdam Catalogue discourses thus about it:—­a model catalogue:  it gives you the prices paid, the signatures of the painters, a succinct description of the work.

“This masterpiece represents a banquet of the Civic Guard, which took place on the 18th of June, 1648, in the great hall of the St. Joris Doele, on the Singel at Amsterdam, to celebrate the conclusion of the Peace at Muenster.  The thirty-five figures composing the picture are all portraits.

“‘The Captain Witse’ is placed at the head of the table, and attracts our attention first.  He is dressed in black velvet, his breast covered with a cuirass, on his head a broad-brimmed black hat with white plumes.  He is comfortably seated on a chair of black oak, with a velvet cushion, and holds in his left hand, supported on his knee, a magnificent drinking-horn, surrounded by a St. George destroying the dragon, and ornamented with olive-leaves.  The captain’s features express cordiality and good-humour; he is grasping the hand of ‘Lieutenant Van Wavern’ seated near him in a habit of dark grey, with lace and buttons of gold, lace-collar and wrist-bands, his feet crossed, with boots of yellow leather, with large tops, and gold spurs, on his head a black hat and dark-brown plumes.  Behind him, at the centre of the picture, is the standard-bearer, ‘Jacob Banning,’ in an easy martial attitude, hat in hand, his right hand on his chair, his right leg on his left knee.  He holds the flag of blue silk, in which the Virgin is embroidered” (such a silk! such a flag! such a piece of painting!), “emblematic of the town of Amsterdam.  The banner covers his shoulder, and he looks towards the spectator frankly and complacently.