Giovanni Paolo Panini was the most illustrious painter of vedute in Rome during the eighteenth century. Born in Piacenza, in 1711 Panini moved to Rome reaching considerable fame as a painter of decorative frescoes. Furthermore, he painted landscapes, influenced by the work of Gaspar van Wittel (1653-1735), but also capricci, compositions in which recognisable monuments are placed in imaginary settings, following the examples of Giovanni Ghisolfi (1623-1683) and Viviano Codazzi (1604-1670).
Pairs such as this one are a fine example of the kind of paintings Panini became famous for. Such architectural landscapes, highlighting the grand historical as well as artistic heritage of the Eternal City, were indeed in great demand throughout the 18th Century, especially among Grand Tourists.
Giovanni Paolo Panini (1691-1765)
A Pair of Views of The Campo Vaccino & Saint Peter’s Square in Rome
Oil on canvas
circa 1730
Sold to an overseas private collector