![Memorietafel Smedegilde Buurkerk Utrecht](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Memorietafel_Smedegilde_Buurkerk_Utrecht.jpg)
The Utrecht Guild of Saint Luke refers to two artist collectives in
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Nethe ...
; the old Catholic ''Zadelaarsgilde'' (Saddler's Guild) dating from the Middle Ages, as well as the newer ''Sint Lucas Gilde'' established in 1611. The first collective was for a number of trades that were connected to the art industry, though the smiths had their own guild called the "St. Eloyen" guild. The second collective was founded for the oil painters after the
Protestant Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
. The Zadelaarsgilde fell under the patron saint
Luke the Evangelist
Luke the Evangelist (Latin: '' Lucas''; grc, Λουκᾶς, '' Loukâs''; he, לוקאס, ''Lūqās''; arc, /ܠܘܩܐ לוקא, ''Lūqā’; Ge'ez: ሉቃስ'') is one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of t ...
and the St. Eloyen guild fell under
Saint Eligius
Saint Eligius (also Eloy, Eloi or Loye; french: Éloi; 11 June 588 – 1 December 660 AD) is the patron saint of goldsmiths, other metalworkers, and Coin collecting, coin collectors. He is also the patron saint of veterinarians, the Royal Elect ...
.
History
Like other Dutch cities, Utrecht required membership in the guilds in order to sell wares falling under those guilds. In the 14th century, the Utrecht saddlemakers, painters, sculptors, book illustrators, and bookbinders were all united in the Zadelaarsgilde. In those days oil painters were just as likely to paint on leather parchment or harness as on wooden panels or sculptures, so the choice of trades united in this guild is not so strange. Utrecht in the Middle Ages was the largest city in the Northern Netherlands, capital of the
Bishopric of Utrecht
The Bishopric of Utrecht ( nl, Sticht Utrecht) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries, in the present-day Netherlands. From 1024 to 1528, as one of the prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire, it w ...
, and the main center for religion. With each passing of an archbishop, a new archbishop would be appointed who brought his own artisans to town. Utrecht was thus an important art center and saw many innovations in the arts in general over the centuries. The smiths were split into guilds, one for the gold- and silversmiths under St. Eligius, and one for the bronze, iron and tin workers (including lock-, knife-, and clock makers) in the ''Smeden'' guild. All three guilds existed well before the 14th century and were led by two "dekens" (deacons or aldermen), and they were associated with different churches.
[Utrecht Archives]
historical overview of the guilds of Utrecht (Dutch)
During the course of the 17th century this slowly changed. The oil painters were reorganized under the leadership of
Abraham Bloemaert
Abraham Bloemaert (25 December 1566 – 27 January 1651) was a Dutch painter and printmaker in etching and engraving. He was initially working in the style of the "Haarlem Mannerists", but in the 16th century altered his style in line with the ...
into the ''Sint Lukasgilde'', while the smiths's guilds were united under the ''St. Eloyengasthuis'' (
St. Eloy's Hospice) and led by the regents of that institution. In 1639 the oil painters were again reorganized into the ''Schilderscollege'', which effectively forced out the sculptors. In 1717 the city council changed the formula from a guild to a society, and membership was no longer required. The task of the society was mostly the running of the drawing school called the ''Stadstekenacademie'' that had been held in the St. Hieronymusschool since 1696. In 1814 the name changed again, and it became the Painting and Drawing Society "
Kunstliefde". The title means "love of art" and the members tended to apply themselves to the fashionable art of imitating the Dutch masters from the 17th century.
Today the society is housed on Nobelstraat 12a in Utrecht.
Guild members registered in Utrecht
Some notable members of the Utrecht Guild of Saint Luke (or Zadelaarsgilde) were
Balthasar van der Ast
Balthasar van der Ast (1593/94 – 7 March 1657) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in still lifes of flowers and fruit, as well as painting a number of remarkable shell still lifes; he is considered to be a pioneer in the genre ...
,
Dirck van Baburen
Dirck Jaspersz. van Baburen (c. 1595 – 21 February 1624) was a Dutch painter and one of the Utrecht Caravaggisti.
Biography
Dirck van Baburen was probably born in Wijk bij Duurstede, but his family moved to Utrecht when he was still young. ...
,
Abraham Bloemaert
Abraham Bloemaert (25 December 1566 – 27 January 1651) was a Dutch painter and printmaker in etching and engraving. He was initially working in the style of the "Haarlem Mannerists", but in the 16th century altered his style in line with the ...
,
Hendrick Bloemaert
Hendrick Bloemaert (1601 or 1602 – 30 December 1672) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
Biography
Hendrick was the oldest son of Abraham Bloemaert. His brothers Cornelis and Adriaen were also painters. In 1626 he was registered in Rome, but b ...
,
Johannes van Haensbergen
Johannes (Jan) van Haensbergen (1642–1705) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
Biography
He was registered in the Utrecht Guild of St. Luke in 1668 and in 1669 he was registered in the Confrerie Pictura in The Hague, where he married Johanna van ...
,
Steven van Herwijck
Steven Cornelisz. van Herwijck (Utrecht c. 1530–London 1565/67), was a Netherlandish sculptor and gem engraver famous for his portrait medallions and medals. He spent two periods of his career in England, where he died. It has recently been su ...
,
Gijsbert d'Hondecoeter
Gijsbert d'Hondecoeter (1604 – 29 August 1653) was a Dutch landscape and animalier painter.
Hondecoeter belonged to a family of painters. His father was Gillis d'Hondecoeter and his son was Melchior d'Hondecoeter. Hondecoeter primarily pa ...
,
Gerard van Honthorst
Gerard van Honthorst (Dutch: ''Gerrit van Honthorst''; 4 November 1592 – 27 April 1656) was a Dutch Golden Age painting, Dutch Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction of artificially lit scenes, eventually receiving the nickn ...
,
Nikolaus Knüpfer,
Paulus Moreelse
Paulus Moreelse (1571 – 6 March 1638) was a Dutch painter, mainly of portraits.
Life
Moreelse was born and lived most of his life in Utrecht. He was a pupil of the Delft portrait painter Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt, who had himself bee ...
,
Herman Saftleven
Herman Saftleven the Younger (1609 - 5 January 1685 (buried)), was a Dutch painter of the Baroque period.
Biography
Born in Rotterdam, Saftleven lived most of his life (1632–1685) in Utrecht. His brothers, Cornelis Saftleven (1607–1681) ...
,
Roelant Savery
Roelant Savery (or ''Roeland(t) Maertensz Saverij'', or ''de Savery'', or many variants; 1576 – buried 25 February 1639) was a Flanders-born Dutch Golden Age painter.
Life
Savery was born in Kortrijk. Like so many other artists, he belonge ...
,
Jan Vermeer van Utrecht
Jan Vermeer van Utrecht (16 February 1630 (bapt.) – c. 1696) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Though he was born near Delft, there is no known relation between this painter and Johannes Vermeer.
Biography
Vermeer was born in Schipluiden. His f ...
,
Jan Weenix
Jan Weenix or Joannis Wenix (between 1641/164919 September 1719 (buried)) was a Dutch painter. He was trained by his father, Jan Baptist Weenix, together with his cousin Melchior d'Hondecoeter. Like his father, he painted various subjects, but ...
,
Jan Baptist Weenix
Jan Baptist Weenix, also spelled Jan Baptiste Weeninx (1621–c. 1659) was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age. Despite his relatively brief career, he was a very productive and versatile painter. His favourite subjects were Italian lands ...
,
Abraham Willaerts
Abraham Willaerts (c. 1603 - 18 October 1669) was a Dutch Baroque painter, mostly of marine and harbor scenes. He also painted a number of single and family portraits.
Life
Abraham Willaerts was born in Utrecht (city), Utrecht, the son of the p ...
,
Adam Willaerts
Adam Willaerts (21 July 1577 – 4 April 1664) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
Biography
Willaerts (occasionally ''Willarts'', ''Willers'') was born in London to Flemish parents who had fled from Antwerp for religious reasons. By 1585 the fa ...
,
Joachim Wtewael
Joachim Anthoniszoon Wtewael (; also known as Uytewael ) (1566 – 1 August 1638) was a Dutch Northern Mannerism, Mannerist painter and Drawing, draughtsman, as well as a highly successful flax merchant, and town councillor of Utrecht (ci ...
,
Charles Cornelisz. de Hooch,
Johannes van Wijckersloot
Johannes van Wijckersloot (c. 1625-1630 – 1687) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
Wijckersloot was born in Utrecht and little is known of his early years, though he probably learned to paint at the newly opened drawing academy there. He worked ...
.
References
{{reflist
Guilds in the Netherlands
History of Utrecht (city)
Dutch artist groups and collectives
Painters from Utrecht