This pair of architectural fantasies, known as capricci, is part of a recent bequest from the estate of Diana Dollar Knowles and newly on view in Gallery 7. Ruins with Prophet (left) and Ruins with Sibyl (right) by Giovanni Paolo Panini (Italian, 1691–1765), an artist who worked in Rome and became famous for his depictions of that city, are displayed in their original, hand-carved, Venetian frames. Dated in the year that Panini became a member of the French Academy in Rome, these paintings reveal the 18th-century taste for antiquity and picturesque ruins. This type of cabinet picture was popular with an international clientele of collectors, including those making the Grand Tour across Italy.
Learn more about this generous bequest and these fascinating artworks on our website.
Giovanni Paolo Panini (Italian, 1691–1765). Figures Amongst the Ruins (Ruins with Prophet), 1731 (left); Figures Amongst the Ruins (Ruins with Sybil), 1731 (right). Oil on canvas. Private Collection. L10.7.1
