A Capriccio of Classical Rome

This circa 1720 Capriccio of Classical Rome depicts an imaginary arrangement of ancient monuments—temples, arches, columns, obelisks—set in a luminous Venetian landscape that never existed but feels wholly convincing. The capriccio tradition allowed painters to create idealized visions of antiquity more perfect than any actual Roman site, satisfying Grand Tour collectors' desire for classical splendor. Ricci's version contributes to the genre he helped establish and that Pannini, Canaletto, and Piranesi would elaborate across the eighteenth century. Dating to Ricci's return from his international travels, this work shows him at the height of his synthesis of architectural precision and atmospheric landscape painting, influencing the next generation of Venetian view painters.

The classical monuments are rendered with atmospheric warmth within a luminous Italian landscape, Ricci's confident handling of architectural perspective and figure staffage creating a convincing, if imaginary, Roman vista.