The Disbanding of the 'Waardgelders' (Mercenaries in the Pay of the Town Government) by Prince Maurits on the Neude, Utrecht, 31 July 1618 1627

Pauwels van Hillegaert's oil painting, "The Disbanding of the 'Waardgelders' (Mercenaries in the Pay of the Town Government) by Prince Maurits on the Neude, Utrecht, 31 July 1618," depicts a historical event in Utrecht, Netherlands. Painted in 1627, the work captures the moment when Prince Maurits, Stadholder of Holland, dismissed the "Waardgelders," a mercenary force employed by the city government. The scene unfolds on the Neude, a central square in Utrecht, with a crowd of figures including soldiers, townspeople, and dignitaries. The detailed depiction of the buildings and the lively crowd gives us a glimpse into 17th-century Dutch life. The painting is a valuable historical record of the city of Utrecht and the events of the Eighty Years' War.