St Lucasgilde Den Haag

Guild of Saint Luke The Hague

The Guild of Saint Luke was the name of several brotherhoods in different cities that were concerned with the protection of artists in the respective city. The first Guild of Saint Luke was founded in Antwerp in 1382, not yet under that name. The guild interfered with the artists and crafts, such as gold and silversmithing. The existence of the guilds continues into the 18th century. In The Hague, a group of painters split off in 1656 and jointly founded the Confrerie Pictura.