Six Wardens of the Drapers’ Guild

1599

Wardens were the supervisors and governors of the Drapers’ Guild. They were responsible for inspecting fabrics, determining the types of woollens and the manner of weaving and dyeing. Pieter Pietersz’s group portrait is still firmly rooted in the 16th-century tradition of static militia company portraits, yet the many hand gestures enliven this somewhat stiff composition.