Banquet at the Crossbowmen’s Guild in Celebration of the Treaty of Münster
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
h 232cm × w 547cm
Classification
painting
Museum
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
About this artwork
Civic guards were the city’s militia. They were volunteers. In Amsterdam, each district had its own company with its own headquarters. In the 17th century, larger and grander buildings were built. Group portraits of the members lined the walls. In 1648, Van der Helst immortalised this Amsterdam company in their hall, celebrating the peace between Spain and the Dutch Republic.