Mythological paintings
and Capricci

Giovanni Paolo Panini paints Rome, its History and Monuments

Panini would mix the magic Aestetic of Rome in recreating the Mythology situations that were related - or could have been related - to Rome's History, mixing up religious situations with ancient Rome atmosphere.

How historically accurate these representations could have been was not important for Panini and his buyers, as much as the "feeling of the old times" could be experienced in the final paintings to create enough interest to buy it.

But the magic is there, no doubt about it, even since his career's beginnings.

 

Canaletto's early interest in "Mythological images" and "Capricci" paintings also could be the result of Panini's example, for sure the magical aestetic of the Rome of that time, so real and so present, may have had an impact on Canaletto's young mind.

 

Giovanni Paolo Panini worked taking advantage of the "Grand Tour", the flux of rich tourist visiting Italy for its Artistic side.

Italian painters of the XVIIth century could finally detach their interest & work from the Roman Church assignments, the big and sometimes almost only sponsor in the previous century, Caravaggio Docet.

Thanks to this constant flux of tourists, and thanks to the trend of collecting paintings to decorate and show off in their houses in England, France, Germany and Holland.

An interesting point: since some Giovanni Paolo Panini paintings are presently recognized as being the authorship by "Panini and Workshop" we can assume he had put together a Painting Factory in which he and his assistants were taking care of the production.