De schuttersmaaltijd in de Voetboogdoelen of St. Jorisdoelen te Amsterdam ter viering van het sluiten van de vrede van Munster, 18 juni 1648 1831 - 1886

Frans Molenaar created this print, "The Civic Guard's Meal in the Voetboogdoelen," in 1848, celebrating the Peace of Munster. It depicts a feast held by the Amsterdam civic guard, a voluntary militia, to commemorate the end of the Eighty Years' War between the Dutch Republic and Spain. The image presents an idealized view of Dutch society. These civic guard groups were powerful institutions in Dutch cities and represented a cross-section of the middle class. By commissioning group portraits, they visually asserted their social standing and civic responsibility. The print makes use of cultural references to evoke a sense of national pride and historical continuity. The Peace of Munster was a pivotal moment in Dutch history, marking the formal recognition of the Dutch Republic's independence and the beginning of its Golden Age. Understanding such historical imagery involves looking at archival sources and institutional records. These shed light on the complex interplay between art, society, and politics in shaping our understanding of the past.