Chamber of rhetoric

[1] The first chambers of rhetoric were founded in Flanders around the 15th century; they later flowered in Holland, where they were an important part of the literary scene in the Dutch Golden Age and experimented with poetic form and structure.

The building that currently houses the Frans Hals Museum was built with the proceeds of a lottery in which chambers of rhetoric participated from all over the country.

[1] An important chamber of rhetoric in the Netherlands was "De Egelantier" in Amsterdam: Coster, Bredero, Hooft and Roemer Visscher were all members of this society.

[1] Because many of the rederijkers were by definition amateurs, the literary quality of their work was often rather low, and in the 18th century, some chambers of rhetoric were spoken of with contempt.

By the 17th century many chambers enjoyed the services of semi-professional actors, personagiën, who did not pay membership fees and worked in exchange for free food and drink (provided after rehearsals and performances) and for exemption from other civic obligations.

The Rhetoricians, c. 1655 , by Jan Steen . The painting depicts a rederijker reading his poem ( blason ), while hanging over the balcony the blazon of his chamber of rhetoric can be seen; in this case the Amsterdam society " Egelantier ", whose symbol was a wild rose (egelantier) and whose motto was "In Liefde Bloeiend".
Printed invitation to other chambers of rhetoric by the Antwerp Violieren , for a landjuweel event, lasting 19 days, in 1561
Excerpt of a text by rhetorician Anthonis de Roovere, from a 15th or 16th-century manuscript of Middle Dutch and Latin devotions [ 3 ]