Cornelis Ketel: The civic guard company of captain Dirck Jacobsz. Rosecrans and lieutenant Pauw (1588)

(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

This civic-guard piece or 'schuttersstuk' was the first time that members of a civic-guard were portrayed from top to bottom. Before this the members were usually portrayed from the middle. Cornelis Ketel also shows the members according to the new rules for the ranks (around 1580 the old Medieval civic guard guilds and the town militia merged together to form the new civic guard units and were organized along military lines). The painting used to be larger with the standard-bearer standing in the middle. On the left of the standard-bearer stands captain Dirck Jacobsz Rosecrans with his spontoon, sash and 'commanding gesture' of his hand. On the right side of the standard-bearer stands lieutenant Pauw with his partisan, viewed from the back. The persons with the halberds are the sergeants. Notice also the second and third persons on the left. Each is carrying a large broadsword swung over his shoulder. These two project the standard in a battle. Painting from 1588.