Militia Company of District VIII under the Command of Captain Roelof Bicker, Bartholomeus van der Helst, c. 1640 - c. 1643
oil on canvas, h 235cm × w 750cm More details
This civic guard painting is a substantial 7.5 metres wide and almost filled an entire wall in the large hall of the Kloveniersdoelen. Van der Helst did not line up the thirty militiamen in a static row, but positioned the ones with the lightest coloured clothing in the front at regular intervals. The painter included himself in the group, at the far left.