Officers and other Civic Guardsmen of the XIX District of Amsterdam, under the command of Captain Cornelis Bicker and Lieutenant Frederick van Banchem, waiting to welcome Marie de Médicis, 1 September 1638 1640

Joachim von Sandrart painted these Officers and Civic Guardsmen in 1638 to commemorate Marie de Médicis’ visit to Amsterdam. Civic guard portraits like this one served to broadcast power, civic responsibility, and unity in the Dutch Republic. Note the recurrence of vertical lances piercing the skyline. Weapons are a potent symbol, but the specific upward thrust is what excites my attention. Think back to antiquity; consider the raised spears in Paolo Uccello’s "The Battle of San Romano." We see this gesture again and again. In the militia portrait, however, the lances are more about the collective will and defense of a city than individual combat. This evolution points to how symbols can transmute. The subconscious desire for order and security, which motivates the raising of a spear, evolves into a more communal, civic-minded expression. This reveals a fascinating thread in our cultural memory. The vertical thrust remains a constant, yet its psychological meaning shifts with the times.