Who is shown standing beside Captain Frans Banning Cocq in Rembrandt’s The Night Watch?

Willem van Ruytenburch is the lieutenant standing beside Captain Frans Banning Cocq in Rembrandt’s The Night Watch.

In the painting, Banning Cocq wears black with a red sash and gestures forward, while Van Ruytenburch appears in a striking yellow costume beside him. Their contrasting clothing and central placement make the pair the visual focus of the militia group. The official title is Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banning Cocq, although The Night Watch became its familiar name.

Rembrandt completed the painting in 1642 for Amsterdam’s civic militia tradition. It was not originally intended as a conventional portrait of only two men; it presents a group in energetic movement, with weapons, banners, and other figures arranged in a theatrical composition.

Van Ruytenburch is sometimes mistaken for another member of the company because the scene contains many figures and strong contrasts of light. His yellow uniform is the clearest identifying feature beside the captain.