Manner of Giovanni Paolo Panini (Italian, 1691-1765), Capriccio of Roman Ruins

Oil on canvas (lined), unsigned, presented in a giltwood frame.

Stretcher size 36 x 50 in.; Frame dimensions 40 1/2 x 54 1/2 in.

A capriccio is an imaginative composition that blends real and fictional architectural elements, landscapes, and figures to create a fantastical or poetic scene. Unlike veduta paintings, which depict actual locations with accuracy, capriccio paintings freely combine ruins, classical structures, and dramatic lighting to evoke nostalgia, grandeur, or decay. This genre, popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, often featured whimsical reimaginings of historical settings, reflecting the European fascination with antiquity during the Grand Tour.
Notable artists like Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Giovanni Paolo Panini, Canaletto, Francesco Guardi, and Hubert Robert contributed to the genre, each infusing their work with romanticism and theatrical atmosphere. These paintings influenced later movements, including Romanticism, and remain a source of inspiration in visual storytelling, theater, and film.

The painting has been lined, with light age cracking, stretcher lines at the center of the work, and areas of professional restoration.