Apollo Driving the Chariot of the Rising Sun 1527 - 1585

Luca Cambiaso created this pen and brown ink drawing, Apollo Driving the Chariot of the Rising Sun, in the 16th century, a period rife with artistic, scientific, and religious change. Cambiaso, an Italian painter working in the High Renaissance style, here depicts Apollo, the Greek god of light, driving his chariot across the sky to bring forth the dawn. Think about the power dynamics embedded within this scene; Apollo, the male god, controlling the horses, which represent raw, untamed energy, to bring light to the world. The very act of depicting a god in such a dynamic pose speaks to the Renaissance’s humanistic values that placed humans and their experiences at the center. Note how the artist focuses on movement and idealized forms rather than realistic details. The drawing captures a sense of energy and drama, but also hints at the societal values placed on control and order during the Renaissance, perhaps reflective of the artist’s own experiences. The dawn is not just a time, but a representation of power and control.