This spring, Utrecht's Centraal Museum is showing the exhibition The Bentvueghels. A notorious art society in Rome. This one tells the extraordinary story of a group of artists from the Northern and Southern Netherlands, who united in Rome around 1620 in the artists' group The Bentvueghels. There was partying and drinking by the compatriots, but the unifying factor was the artists' profession and their love for Rome. They included painters, engravers, sculptors, as well as poets. To become a member of the Bentvueghels, one had to undergo an initiation ritual. This involved members forming a 'tableau vivant', with one of the members assuming the role of wine god Bacchus. The ritual concluded in the Santa Costanza outside the city. They became so notorious for their drinking sprees that they were banned by the pope. In a lecture, Barry Heinrichs will tell you all about their interest and stay in Rome, their strange rituals, the connection with the wine god Bacchus and the special art that resulted.

How does that work online?

You follow this lecture online from your own computer or tablet. All you need is a good internet connection and sound. Lecturer and images will automatically appear on your screen. If you cannot attend 'live', you can watch the lecture at another time look back. Registration is therefore still possible after the lecture.