In 1623, Dutch painters living in Rome (Pieter van Laer, Cornelis van Poelenburgh, Bartholomeus Breenbergh and others) formed a sort of brotherhood, the members of which were known as Bentvueghels (literally: bids of the flock). Every newcomer from the north could join the club, but first had to undergo a farcical induction ritual. The Bentvueghels took great pride in their parties as shown by the large number of drawings and even paintings made of them.
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