Giovanni Paolo Panini

Giovanni Paolo Panini, born in Piacenza in 1691, became one of the most celebrated vedutisti, or "view painters," of 18th-century Rome. Initially training in stage design and drawing in his native town, Panini moved to Rome around 1711, a city whose antiquities and vibrant street life would become his lifelong muses. He quickly established himself, not only as a painter but also as a decorator of opulent palaces, including the Villa Patrizi and the Palazzo de Carolis. Panini…