Panini (or Pannini) was born in Piacenza, but from 1711 worked in Rome. He probably studied architectural drawing at Piacenza. He was employed on decorative frescoes and painted architectural views.
Giovanni Paolo Panini
1691 - 1765
Paintings by Giovanni Paolo Panini
Panini painted a number of imaginary scenes in which a known monument is set within a fanciful arrangement of ruins. The crumbling stone pyramid here is based on the tomb of Caius Cestius in Rome, but all of the other elements are invented. Remnants of the city’s classical past fill the foregroun...
Panini specialised in architectural views and painted about 30 pictures of the monumental interior of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome over several decades. This is a view of the main entrance, looking down the nave towards the tomb of Saint Peter. We look out over the church from an elevated position...
Not on display
This monumental painting shows a large crowd awaiting the results of a lottery draw, which is taking place on the balcony of the Palazzo di Montecitorio in Rome. A man has released the winning ticket into the air – you can just make out a small piece of paper fluttering towards the excited group...