Brand van Troje 1590 - 1638

Andrea Commodi made this pen and brown ink drawing, called 'Brand van Troje', sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century. This work provides a glimpse into the artistic process in Italy at that time. The gridlines indicate that the artist was working on a large-scale composition. The Renaissance had revived classical subjects and in the same spirit, Commodi here engages with the ancient story of the Trojan horse. Trojan Horse. Renaissance artists often worked for the church, the courts, or the state, and the artwork promoted the values or power of the institution. The heroic subject matter would have appealed to rulers wanting to associate themselves with the glory of antiquity. Art historians use preparatory drawings like this, along with other documentary sources, to study the culture surrounding the commissioning of art. Understanding art means understanding its place in the history of institutions and power.