Historical art collection of portraits depicting the civic guards of of Amsterdam.
Historical art collection of portraits depicting the civic guards of of Amsterdam.
Amsterdam's 'Schuttersgalerij', a public passage-way in the old centre of Amsterdam with 30 enormous paintings of Civic Guards from the 17th century.
Freely accessible covered 'museum' street with impressive Civic Guard paintings from the Golden Age.
Visitors to the Schuttersgalerij can see over 30 life-size portraits of members of the civic guard*, painted during the 16th and 17th centuries.
* The civic guard was a militia group, intended to protect the town or city from attack and act in case of revolt or fire, that existed in many Dutch cities during the 16th and 17th centuries.
The gallery offers a unique glimpse into the history and culture of Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age.
This is probably the only place in the world where paintings are simply hanging on display in the street.
A huge painting 'The Entry of Napoleon in Amsterdam' representing the submission of Amsterdam by the French 200 years ago, can be seen for free at the Schuttergalerij.
Schuttersgalerij is situated in a covered street leading from Begijnensteeg (entrance from Spui) to the Amsterdam Museum.
It can also be reached via a narrow street (Gedempte Begijnensloot) from Amsterdam's main shopping street, at Kalverstraat 92.
Other nearby attractions are Begijnhof, Amsterdam Museum, Kalverstraat and Spui square.
more impressions
Entrance gate from Kalverstraat
Civic Guardsmen of the company of Lieutenant Pieter Pietersz Hasselaer, 1623 by Cornelis van der Voort (1576 - 1624)
The Entry of Napoleon in Amsterdam by Mattheus van Bree (1813)
Goliath with spear and sword, 1648-1650
by Albert Jansz Vinckenbrinck (1605-1664)