Architectural Capriccio
by PANNINI, Giovanni Paolo, Oil on canvas, 100 x 137 cm
This signed and dated painting is a capriccio with figures discoursing among Roman ruins. The architectural elements appear to be of Panini’s invention, although some components may have been inspired by actual ruins in Rome. Panini creates here a monumental setting, in which the strong vertical emphasis of the columns is softened by the horizontal accent of the arched ceiling of the arcade.