Militia paintings

Militia paintings

Members of the civic guard were well-to-do burghers. They held firing practice in shooting galleries known as 'doelen'. Each civic guard guild GuildA guild is a society of persons united by a particular aim or occupation. Guilds were first formed in the Middle Ages. Some guilds were founded as charities, others were societies of merchants, craftsmen, artists and militias. Craftsmen would have been unable to practice their profession without being a member of the guild. Members were bound by a code of quality and price, but could also obtain assistance from the guild. An extensive apprenticeship system developed. Only a fully qualified master could become a member of the guild. Each guild had its patron saint: the patron of the painters guild was St Luke. was named after its weapon. There were crossbowmen and longbowmen, and arquebusiers. The latter carried firearms, the arquebus or 'klover'. Militia guilds were first formed in the Middle Ages. The original companies were created by the civic authorities to be called out in emergencies. In the seventeenth century, despite their military duties, the guilds developed into social clubs for gentlemen. From the early sixteenth century onwards the militias regularly commissioned group portraits, so-called militia paintings.