Italienisch Lot n° 6226

1st half 18th century view of the Piazza San Pietro in Rome. Oil on canvas, mounted. 69 x 97 cm. Among the memorabilia of well-heeled travellers and visitors to the Eternal City were prints and small sculptures as well as painted views. Romvedute were created by the hands of specialized painters who were dedicated to reproducing the most important monuments of the city. St. Peter's Basilica, with its forecourt and surrounding building complexes, was one of the most popular motifs, by which almost every important veduta painter measured himself - from Gaspare van Vittel to Antonio Joli, Giovanni Paolo Pannini and many others. The square designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini is enlivened here with rococo carriages, processions and numerous figures in contemporary habit. A terminus post quem for the dating is provided by the elegant paving of the piazza, which was only used during construction work in 1723.