Confrerie pictura

An association of forty-eight artists in The Hague, it was founded in 1656 by local painters, sculptors and printmakers to promote their work more effectively. They were rebelling against the Guild of Saint Luke, which was weighted down by outdated church affiliations. The leader was Adriaen Hanneman, and membership included Willem Doudijns, Augustinus Terwesten and Robert Duval. Source: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confrerie_Pictura