Twelve militia paintings from the 17th century, the golden age of Dutch painting, have left Amsterdam for the first time ever.

The Amsterdam Historical Museum has loaned the works – group portraits of civic guardsmen – to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where the exhibition Goldenes Zeitalter (Golden Era) opens on Wednesday evening.

The main reason the paintings have left Amsterdam never before is their immense size which makes them difficult to transport. Also, the paintings take pride of place in the Militia Gallery and other rooms in the Amsterdam Historical Museum. The works are now on loan to the Vienna museum because the Militia Gallery is undergoing renovation.

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