painting, oil-paint
portrait
painting
oil-paint
11_renaissance
group-portraits
genre-painting
northern-renaissance
Dimensions height 208 cm, width 410 cm
Cornelis Ketel painted this monumental canvas of the Rosecrans and Pauw civic guard at a time when the Netherlands was asserting independence through military might. The artist has lavished attention on the material and processes used to fashion the guards’ apparel, highlighting the social significance of these garments. From the starched ruffs that frame each face to the elaborate tailoring, the painting captures the cultural identity of this powerful group. The material qualities and weight of the textiles speak to the economic status of the sitters, reflecting the wealth generated by trade in the Netherlands. The precision in rendering the play of light on velvet, linen, and metal implicates Ketel’s own labor, and the economic system that supported him. The way that the standing figures define space also indicates the society of labor that allowed Ketel to create this painting. By focusing on the details of making, we can understand the complex relationships between materials, labor, and power that shaped this era.
Comments
Thirteen self-assured officers of the Amsterdam militia, the city’s armed civic guard, are portrayed here. From 1580, at the initiative of William of Orange, the old militia guilds were refashioned into civic guards organized along military lines. The officers were recruited from the upper levels of society. The dark muzzled dog at right contrasts comically with the jaunty little lapdog at centre jumping up on its owner’s legs.
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