Ever since it was founded in 1904, the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome (KNIR) has conducted research on Netherlandish artists in Italy, particularly in the early modern period. Still authoritative publications by KNIR staff members Hoogewerff and Orbaan have highlighted the presence of Dutch and Flemish painters and sculptors in the Eternal city and their contacts with Italian artists. The Accademia Belgica in Rome has an equally rich tradition of research in this field, with contributions by leading scholars in the field like D. Bodart and N. Dacos.