Emperor Commodus (1557-1559)

Dated 1557-1559, "Emperor Commodus" is an artwork by Hubert Goltzius. The catalogue places it in Illustration. The format is portrait. Background on Illustration: Illustration serves a text or a story, a tradition that runs from decorated medieval manuscripts to printed book plates, magazines, and posters. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are often described as a golden age of book and magazine illustration. About the period around 1557-1559: Elsewhere, the Mughal court in India developed a distinctive tradition of miniature painting, and printed images continued to travel widely between countries. The sixteenth century includes the High Renaissance in Italy, the Mannerist generation that followed it, and the Northern Renaissance of artists such as Dürer, Holbein, and Bruegel.

Everything for "Emperor Commodus" arrives digitally: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI. Once payment is confirmed, an email brings the download link, and from there you decide how to print it, whether at home, at a print shop, or through an online service. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Matching the frame to the image proportions avoids cropping. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size.

Dutch, 1526–1583

If you like the visual language of Hubert Goltzius, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.