This "civic guard piece" is a good example of male bonding among Amsterdam’s elite. In general the people portrayed all lived in the same city quarter. The company of which they were members saw to law and order in their neighbourhood. In the Middle Ages the civic guard companies were responsible for the defence of the city. Towards the end of the sixteenth century however they changed into clubs of reserve officers. They did not only become officers out of a sense of civic duty; it was also a step in their careers and gave them social status. In command of each company was a captain and lieutenant. To be portrayed in these paintings one had to pay a sum of money, which is why these civic guard pieces do not include every member. At the end of the 1630s the arquebusiers had a new hall where they had the space to hang group portraits of all the civic guard companies. The best-known of these is Rembrandt’s Night Watch (Rijksmuseum). Nicolaes Pickenoy painted two civic guard pieces for the Kloveniersdoelen (the arquebusiers’ guildhall). This canvas was not hung in the new hall, but in the vestibule. Lieutenant Pieter Adriaenszn Raep is seated in front of the table. The man to the left of the table is probably Captain Dirck Tholinx. The officers are studying ground plans of fortifications. Dirck Tholinx (1589-after 1654) was a merchant on the Herengracht. In 1644 he became bankrupt and had to leave Amsterdam. Later he was accused of supporting Stadholder Willem II who besieged the city in 1650. Lieutenant Pieter Adriaenszn Raep (1581-1666) succeeded Tholinx as captain. In 1653 he received an honourable discharge due to his ripe old age.