Roman Ruins with Figures
Classification
sculpture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-203
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Roman Ruins with Figures by Giovanni Paolo PaniniItalian, 1691–1765) invites visitors into the enchanting world of 18th Rome. Created around 1745, this work—classified as sculpture with medium yet to be specified—captures the artist's signature fascination with ancient ruins, a theme central to his career. Panini, a master of the veduta (topographical view) and capriccio genres, blended real architectural fragments from Rome's imperial past with imaginative compositions, reflecting the Enlightenment-era obsession with classical antiquity. During the Grand Tour period, wealthy Europeans floc...