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The name "Night Watch" is wrong and based on an erroneous interpretation of the lighting: the only reason the picture looked like a night scene was that the numerous layers of varnish had darkened. It is however a daytime scene with natural illumination and Rembrandtesque chiaroscuro.
Disputed interpretations have been triggered by the brightly lit girl, who is regarded as a market stallholder. Rembrandt hit upon the idea of representing her so to speak as the allegorical embodiment of the guild. On her belt she is carrying a chicken, whose claws are visible, while the head is concealed. The emblem of the guild consisted of a claw and a musket. The "Kloveniers", the arquebusiers, were named after the "kloven", or butt, of the arquebus or musket, and the claw is a pun on their name (clawveniers). The girl is additionally carrying the guild's costly drinking horn, something that can only be explained by her allegorical function. Thus, what we have is a scenic event picture with historical portraits and the allegorical representation of the guild as a corporate institution.
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