In the seventeenth century Italy and the North had an intensive cultural transfer. Especially Flemish and Dutch artists stayed in Rome for long periods of their careers, and an important group in that diaspora were the Bamboccianti. The circle around Pieter van Lear and his followers established new topics and styles successfully in the Roman art market. Their art and lifestyle differed remarkably from the academic artists of the Roman Baroque, which marked them as rebels and as early bohemians. This, and their recurrent depiction of Roma, placed them in the conception of the impressive Bohème exhibition in the Grand Palais in Paris. However, the line between Roma and artistic bohemians is highly debatable. The focus on the Bamboccianti shows the complex relationship between the Roma in art and the (pre)-bohemian artist. An affinity of the artist towards the Roma should be analysed carefully.