Toespraak van een kapitein van de schuttersgilde 1733

Frans Greenwood created this engraving, "Speech by a Captain of the Civic Guard," in the 18th century. It captures a moment of civic life deeply rooted in Dutch society. During the Dutch Golden Age, the schutterijen, or civil guard, were not merely military units; they were cornerstones of community identity, composed of middle-class citizens tasked with defending their towns. Greenwood, as an engraver, disseminates their image, solidifying the schutterijen's role in the collective imagination. The captain, likely a man of stature within the community, addresses his company, underscoring the themes of duty and unity. In the cultural context of the time, where the burgeoning merchant class gained influence, the schutterijen represented a form of localized power. It's an image imbued with a sense of social order and civic pride. The work is also reflective of the gendered dimensions of public life in this era. In witnessing this artwork, we are confronted with questions about who holds power and how they exercise it, in both historical and contemporary society.