Italiaanse binnenplaats 1626 - 1677

Thomas Wijck made this Italian Courtyard drawing with pen in brown ink and brush in grey ink. Wijck was Dutch, and while we don’t know the precise date of this drawing, it’s likely that it was made in Italy as part of the artistic Grand Tour, or back in the Netherlands from memory. The drawing evokes a sense of the past. But, even then, Italy had become a key destination for Northern European artists who sought to imbue their work with classical feeling. The image shows us how the institution of art in the North became so closely tied to the cultural prestige of the South. Wijck, like many of his contemporaries, went to Italy looking for inspiration in its ruins. The architecture here is crumbling, and the lives of those who inhabit it seem humble. We can imagine Wijck and his Dutch contemporaries seeking to discover the secrets of ancient greatness. The historian can help us understand how these exchanges across Europe have shaped the art we see today. Resources in archives and libraries are there to offer context to this kind of cultural exchange.