▁artist ▁left ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁October 1 7 6 4 ▁for ▁Italy ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁for ▁almost ▁four ▁years ▁and ▁copied ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁Italian ▁master s ▁and ▁in ▁particular , ▁Rap ha el . ▁ ▁His ▁brother ▁Jacob ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁' Jac ques - Jose ph ') ▁who ▁was ▁seven ▁years ▁his ▁junior ▁accompanied ▁him ▁on ▁his ▁trip ▁to ▁Italy . ▁ ▁They ▁spent ▁time ▁in ▁Florence , ▁Rome ▁and ▁Nap les . ▁He ▁travel led ▁back ▁to ▁Ant werp ▁via ▁Paris ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁exposed ▁to ▁new ▁curr ents ▁in ▁art . ▁ ▁Upon ▁his ▁return ▁to ▁Ant werp ▁L ens ▁became ▁a ▁prom oter ▁of ▁these ▁new ▁ideas . ▁ ▁L ens ▁tried ▁to ▁introduce ▁re forms ▁at ▁the ▁Ant werp ▁Academy ▁aim ed ▁at ▁emphas izing ▁the ▁study ▁after ▁models ▁from ▁the ▁Ant ique . ▁ ▁His ▁propos als ▁met ▁with ▁resistance ▁from ▁his ▁fellow ▁direct ors . ▁ ▁Like ▁his ▁father , ▁L ens ▁came ▁into ▁conflict ▁with ▁the ▁Gu ild ▁of ▁Saint ▁Luke . ▁ ▁He ▁regarded ▁the ▁Gu ild ▁as ▁an ▁obst acle ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁artist ▁and ▁ple aded ▁for ▁the ▁liber ation ▁of ▁the ▁artist ▁from ▁the ▁gu ild ▁system ▁which ▁made ▁it ▁a ▁condition ▁to ▁practice ▁art ▁in ▁any ▁city ▁in ▁Fland ers ▁that ▁the ▁artist ▁be ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁gu ild . ▁When ▁his ▁young ▁brother ▁Jacob ▁was ▁denied ▁a ▁first ▁prize ▁in ▁a ▁local ▁drawing ▁competition , ▁he ▁took ▁the ▁matter ▁very ▁personally