Artists Communities

The Role of the Guilds

As artisans and craftsmen began to pull themselves out of the feudal system of the early Middle Ages, the guilds played a dominant role in the socialization and professionalization of the arts. In many European cities, the municipal governments empowered groups called guilds to regulate certain kinds of trades. Any artist who wanted to sell artwork or train apprentices had to join the guild that pertained to his particular craft. Discrete groups of artisans, such as painters, sculptors, book illuminators, and tapestry makers, each belonged to their own guild.

In the context of their specific cities and professions, the guilds regulated the quality, production, and sales of the works created by their members. The guilds also mediated disputes between artists themselves and between artists and clients. As individuals, artists in the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance wielded little power; however, as members of a guild, great influence was exerted on the mechanisms and relationships in a specific trade. Guilds even helped protect against outside competition, promoting fair practices among their members.

Beginning with the Renaissance, artists belonged to both guilds and a growing number of literary and humanistic societies. These latter groups provided additional socialization and intellectual development opportunities for artists. The guilds are, therefore, one of the earliest examples of organizational networking for artists.

Artist Workshops and Apprentices

Within the guild system, regulations existed as to the training of craftsmen. Before becoming a “master” craftsman, an apprentice had to work between three and five years with a master in his field, often beginning this training as a teenager. After this period, the apprentice was promoted to the designation of journeyman, at which point he could freely choose to work with any master artist in the city. Once this time of work was over, the journeyman could advertise himself as a master in his field.

This system of training promoted networking and development opportunities between various generations of artists. One of the most renowned examples of this training system was the workshop run by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640). This prominent and prolific Flemish painter directed a large studio in Antwerp. Rubens worked with numerous apprentices, the most famous of which was Anthony van Dyck, who became the most influential portraitist in Flanders during his lifetime.

Rubens worked on three types of artistic projects: the works he created himself; the works he painted in part (mainly hands and faces) in collaboration with the apprentices in his atelier; and the works he only supervised. Sometimes Rubens subcontracted out elements in his larger paintings, such as still lifes, to other painters. He also regularly worked with other artists in Antwerp on large-scale mythological paintings and works created for specific art collectors. Later in Rubens's career, he reorganized his studio to function efficiently, even in his total absence. Some large projects, such as the decorative design for Philip IV's hunting lodge near Madrid, were executed solely by teams of apprentices and artist collaborators according to Rubens's designs.

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