Confrerie Pictura
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The Confrerie Pictura was founded in 1656 at The Hague (The Netherlands) by local art painters, who were unsatisfied by the Guild of Saint Luke which existed already in the 15th century and in which not just painters were united but also glaziers, engravers, sculptors, goldworkers, printers and book sellers. In other towns even saddlemakers could be united in the Guild of Saint Luke. The goal of the Confrerie Pictura was to protect the painters and to reinforce ties between its members. Everyone working as a painter in The Hague was obliged to be a member of the Confrerie. Guilds installed strict rules to restrict what was seen as unfair trading, but also obliged its members to attend the funerals of its members for instance. The Confrerie had a set of 28 rules. One important rule was that its members were obliged to exhibit their works permanently at their meeting room. As soon as a work had been sold it had to be replaced by a new one. The Confrerie started meeting at the Boterwaag building, where butter was traded at the Prinsegracht. Later, in the 1680ies the Confrerie received a somewhat better place at the Korenhuis, the building where wheat was traded, also at the Prinsegracht. They had four separate rooms at the upper floor of this building, one of which was occupied by the Haagsche Teekenacademie (the drawing academy of The Hague), founded in 1682 by five members of the Confrerie, which much later led to the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (Royal Arts Academy).
The Confrerie was gouverned by a deacon (deken), three governors (hoofdmannen) and a secretary, who were chosen every two years by the Magistrate of The Hague.
[edit] References
- Haagse Schilders in de Gouden Eeuw, Uitgeverij Waanders, Zwolle, 1998, ISBN 90 400 9295 8
