BIAF: Splendid “Roman Capriccio” by Giovanni Paolo Panini

In architectural capriccio of the Lampronti collection, in a scenario of pure invention, there are as always elements based on sites and monuments clearly recognizable archaeological sites, such as the Pyramid of Cestius in the background, and the Tiber statue of the Louvre, seen from the back; the statue is instead visible from the front in the Guidi painting (Arisi, cat 276) of 1739. The work is among the happiest and most harmonious examples of capricci ever made by Panini: everything is calibrated in the landscape, and finely described: on the left and on the right, vestiges of ancient temples form a majestic backdrop to the composition, where in the foreground there are several remains from Roman antiquity, fragments of sarcophagi, vases, majestic bases of columns, which are reflected in the watercourse. The figures inhabit a space with daily habit that refers in its grandeur to the memory of a great past. A young man is seated with his back turned towards the spectator, others are gathered around St. Peter, intent on speaking, listening; the landscape opens in the center onto a sky slightly crossed by clouds. The temples are decorated with fragments of bas-reliefs with plant decorations or with scenes that refer to decorative cycles; every element, every capital, every detail is carefully described and defined by the skilful play of light and shadow.

Panini began his training with Giuseppe Natali (1652-1722) and Andrea Galluzzi (1689-1735), later working with the set designer and quadraturist Francesco Galli Bibiena (1659-1739). In 1711 the young man moved to Rome, where he studied with Benedetto Luti (1666-1724) until 1718, achieving considerable fame as a painter of frescoes with a strong decorative character. In 1719 he became a member of the Accademia di San Luca and of the Congregazione dei Virtuosi del Pantheon, establishing strong ties with members of the French Academy in Rome, to which he was admitted in 1732. In Rome Panini painted landscapes – influenced by the work of Gaspar van Wittel (1653-1735) – but also whims, following the example of Giovanni Ghisolfi (1623-1683) and Viviano Codazzi (1604-1670). Among his patrons were prominent members of the papal court such as Cardinals Albani, de Carolis and Alberoni, and Pope Innocent XIII, from whom he received his first important commission: the frescoing of the Palazzo del Quirinale.

Bibliography: F. Arisi, Gian Paolo Panini and the splendor of 700th century Rome, Rome 1986, 184-185.