 The signed "paper" attached at the bottom of the painting is recorded by Karel van Mander and states that Heemskerck painted it for his colleagues in the guild.Heemskerk had painted this before he traveled to Italy, and when he came back he became charter master of the guild from 1550-1552.Apparently the smiths were dissatisfied with their representation in the running of the guild, and this caused a guild dispute, because the goldsmiths broke away into their own guild in 1576, only to return in the charter of 1590.