主题：【原创】光辉岁月:欧洲中世纪黑暗中的共和曙光 -- AleaJactaEst

维基上是这么说的

Painting's commission

The painting is said to have been commissioned by the Captain and 17 members of his Kloveniers (civic militia guards), and although 18 names appear on a shield in the centre right background, the drummer was hired, and so was allowed in the painting for free. A total of 34 characters appear in the painting. Rembrandt was paid 1,600 guilders for the painting (each person paid one hundred), a large sum at the time. This was one of a series of seven similar paintings of the militiamen commissioned during that time under various artists.

荷兰史这么说的

The "Night Watch" was painted in 1642 and many of the archer's guild who gave Rembrandt the commission would not pay their share because their faces were not plainly seen. This picture which alone was enough to make him immortal, was the very last commission that any of the guilds were willing to give the artist, because he would not make their portraits beautiful or fine looking to the disadvantage of the whole picture. This work hangs in the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam.

反正最起码不是只有两个人肯掏腰包。

最早的谣言源头，可能是他的学生Samuel van Hoogstraten的批评，说画得太暗了。——七传八传成了画得不好，别人不给钱，于是老头破产。