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Rembrandt copied another artist's canine for his famous 'Night Watch'

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Rembrandt copied another artist's canine for his famous 'Night Watch'
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Rembrandt copied another artist's canine for his famous 'Night Watch'

2025-09-23 21:08 Last Updated At:21:30

AMSTERDAM (AP) — It didn't exactly take dogged detective work for an art sleuth in Amsterdam to solve a canine conundrum dating back to the Dutch Golden Age.

Anne Lenders, a curator at the city's landmark Rijksmuseum, said Tuesday that it was more or less by accident that she discovered that the barking dog in Rembrandt van Rijn’s famous “Night Watch” is a near-identical copy of one that features in a 1619 pen and ink drawing by fellow Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne.

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The 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Art restorers work on Rembrandt's Night Watch at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Art restorers work on Rembrandt's Night Watch at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

An art restorer points at the image of a dog in Rembrandt's Night Watch at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

An art restorer points at the image of a dog in Rembrandt's Night Watch at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Detail of the 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Detail of the 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

“I wasn't looking for this; it was really unexpected,” Lenders said in the glass room where “Night Watch” is undergoing extensive restoration.

She was visiting an exhibition at the Zeeuws Museum in the southern Netherlands when her eye fell on a picture of a dog by Van de Venne that was printed in a book by the poet Jacob Cats. The original drawing — which turned out to be part of the Rijksmuseum's own vast collection — was also on display

“The resemblance is so strong that at the very first moment I thought he (Rembrandt) must have used this,” she added.

That's when the research started: a comparison of Van de Venne's and Rembrandt's dogs; their pose, even the collar they wear.

“The head turns in exact the same angle with the mouth slightly opened. ... Both dogs have long hair and ears that hang vertical,” said Lenders.

In the “Night Watch,” the dog adds tension to a dark corner of the crowded composition, crouching and apparently barking near a drummer called Jacob Jorisz and just behind one of the iconic 1642 painting's main characters, Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch.

The discovery is the latest in a series of revelations to emerge during a yearslong project to reexamine the 379.5 by 453.5-centimeter (149.4 by 178.5-inch) canvas using modern techniques. “Operation Night Watch” began in 2019 with an extensive study of the painting and is continuing with restoration work that is likely to take years to complete.

“One tends to think, well, it’s been researched so well, we know everything about it," Rijksmuseum Director Taco Dibbits said. "But the great thing with great art is that you always keep discovering things.”

One thing the Rijksmuseum couldn't figure out was exactly what kind of dog it is, with expert opinions divided between a French or a Dutch breed. Most likely, the two artists used a little poetic license.

“We will never have a conclusion on which breed it is,” Dibbits said. “But it’s definitely very much loved.”

The 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Art restorers work on Rembrandt's Night Watch at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Art restorers work on Rembrandt's Night Watch at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

An art restorer points at the image of a dog in Rembrandt's Night Watch at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

An art restorer points at the image of a dog in Rembrandt's Night Watch at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Detail of the 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Detail of the 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The 17th century drawing by Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne which inspired Rembrandt when painting a dog in the Night Watch, is shown on an easel at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke an 1807 law and deploy troops to quell persistent protests against the federal officers sent to Minneapolis to enforce his administration's massive immigration crackdown.

The threat comes a day after a man was shot and wounded by an immigration officer who had been attacked with a shovel and broom handle. That shooting further heightened the fear and anger that has radiated across the city since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Good in the head.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used federal law, to deploy the U.S. military or federalize the National Guard for domestic law enforcement, over the objections of state governors.

“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,” Trump said in social media post.

Presidents have invoked the law more than two dozen times, most recently in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush to end unrest in Los Angeles. In that instance, local authorities had asked for the assistance.

Trump has repeatedly toyed with the idea of invoking the Insurrection Act, starting in his first term, but hasn't followed through. In 2020, for example, he threatened to use the act to quell protests after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police.

“I’m making a direct appeal to the President: Let’s turn the temperature down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are,” Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, said on X.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he would challenge any such action in court. He's already suing to try to stop the surge by the Department of Homeland Security, which says officers have arrested more than 2,500 people since Nov. 29 as part of an immigration operation in the Twin Cities called Metro Surge.

The operation grew when ICE sent 2,000 officers and agents to the area early in January. ICE is a DHS agency.

In Minneapolis, smoke filled the streets Wednesday night near the site of the latest shooting as federal officers wearing gas masks and helmets fired tear gas into a small crowd. Protesters responded by throwing rocks and shooting fireworks.

Demonstrations have become common in Minneapolis since Good was fatally shot on Jan. 7. Agents who have yanked people from their cars and homes have been confronted by angry bystanders demanding they leave.

“This is an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in and at the same time we are trying to find a way forward to keep people safe,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of three people who said they were questioned or detained in recent days. The lawsuit says two are Somali and one is Hispanic; all three are U.S. citizens. The lawsuit seeks an end to what the ACLU describes as a practice of racial profiling and warrantless arrests. The government did not immediately comment.

Similar lawsuits have been filed in Los Angeles and Chicago and despite seeing initial success, have tended to fizzle in the face of appeal. In Chicago, for example, last year a judge ordered a senior U.S. Border Patrol official to brief her nightly following a lawsuit by news outlets and protesters who said agents used too much force during demonstrations. But three days later, an appeals court stopped the updates.

Homeland Security said in a statement that federal law enforcement officers on Wednesday stopped a driver from Venezuela who is in the U.S. illegally. The person drove off then crashed into a parked car before fleeing on foot, DHS said.

Officers caught up, then two other people arrived and the three started attacking the officer, according to DHS.

“Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life,” DHS said. The confrontation took place about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) from where Good was killed.

Police chief Brian O’Hara said the man who was shot did not have a life-threatening injury. O’Hara's account of what happened largely echoed that of Homeland Security, which later said the other two men were also in the U.S. illegally from Venezuela.

The FBI said several government vehicles were damaged and property inside was stolen when agents responded to the shooting. Photos show broken windows and insults made with paint. A reward of up to $100,000 is being offered for information. The FBI’s Minneapolis office did not immediately reply to messages seeking more details.

St. Paul Public Schools, with more than 30,000 students, said it would begin offering an online learning option for students who do not feel comfortable coming to school. Schools will be closed next week until Thursday to prepare for those accommodations.

Minneapolis Public Schools, which has a similar enrollment, is also offering temporary remote learning. The University of Minnesota will start a new term next week with different options depending on the class.

Madhani reported from Washington, D.C. and Golden reported from Seattle. Associated Press reporters Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Bill Barrow in Atlanta; Rebecca Santana in Washington; and Ed White in Detroit contributed.

Federal immigration officers confront protesters outside Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Federal immigration officers confront protesters outside Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Law enforcement officers at the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Law enforcement officers at the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

A woman covers her face from tear gas as federal immigration officers confront protesters outside Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

A woman covers her face from tear gas as federal immigration officers confront protesters outside Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

A protester throws back a tear gas canister during a protest after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

A protester throws back a tear gas canister during a protest after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Federal immigration officers confront protesters outside Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Federal immigration officers confront protesters outside Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez, second from left, blows a whistle with other activists to warn people of federal immigration officers Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez, second from left, blows a whistle with other activists to warn people of federal immigration officers Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Tear gas surrounds federal law enforcement officers as they leave a scene after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Tear gas surrounds federal law enforcement officers as they leave a scene after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

A child and family are escorted away after federal law enforcement deployed tear gas in a neighborhood during protests on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

A child and family are escorted away after federal law enforcement deployed tear gas in a neighborhood during protests on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

A protester holds an umbrella as sparks fly from a flash bang deployed by law enforcement on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

A protester holds an umbrella as sparks fly from a flash bang deployed by law enforcement on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Monica Travis shares an embrace while visiting a makeshift memorial for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Monica Travis shares an embrace while visiting a makeshift memorial for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

A protester yells in front of law enforcement after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

A protester yells in front of law enforcement after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Tear gas surrounds federal law enforcement officers as they leave a scene after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Tear gas surrounds federal law enforcement officers as they leave a scene after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Protesters shout at law enforcement officers after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Protesters shout at law enforcement officers after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Law enforcement officers stand amid tear gas at the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Law enforcement officers stand amid tear gas at the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

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