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4x5 transparency scanned on Hasselblad Flextight X1 by Ed Pollard-2010.
The Piazza Farnese Decorated for a Celebration in Honor of the Marriage of the Dauphin
4x5 transparency scanned on Hasselblad Flextight X1 by Ed Pollard-2010.
4x5 transparency scanned on Hasselblad Flextight X1 by Ed Pollard-2010.

The Piazza Farnese Decorated for a Celebration in Honor of the Marriage of the Dauphin

Artist Giovanni Paolo Panini (Italian, 1691-1765)
Date1745
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions65 1/2 x 93 1/2 in. (166.4 x 237.5 cm)
Overall, Frame: 77 1/4 × 105 1/2 × 3 1/2 in. (196.2 × 268 × 8.9 cm)
ClassificationsEuropean art
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.523
Terms
  • Italy
  • People
  • Royalty
  • Marriage
  • Rome
  • Piazza Farnese
  • Festival
  • Blue
  • Gray
  • White
  • Tan
  • Red
Collections
On View
On view
DescriptionThis is an oil on canvas painting. It is a vedute estate, or "exact view", of a specific historical event. Blue skies are covered and framed by cumulous clouds. The open courtyard is filled with busy people, both the wealthy, well-dressed and the more common attending the tasks at hand before the marriage. There is a giant obelisk pointing heavenward in the center of the courtyard. Its circular base ornately decorated with statues, columns and stairs. It is a temple of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. There are two smaller fountains on each side. Colorful cloths and banners hang from the windows of the courtyard in bright hues of red, gold and blue.

Label TextGiovanni Paolo Panini Italian, 1691–1765 The Piazza Farnese Decorated for a Celebration in Honor of the Marriage of the Dauphin, 1745 Oil on canvas The fanciful temple at the center of this painting may look as permanent as the buildings surrounding it. In fact, it was a temporary structure built of plaster and board that was designed to self-destruct in a burst of fireworks. Europe’s cities often served as stages for elaborate festivals that celebrated its ruling elites, and Giovanni Paolo Panini’s painting documents the festivities inspired by the 1745 wedding of Louis, Dauphin of France. It also proudly records the artist’s own handiwork as a designer. Along with grand urban views like this one, Panini was famed for his festival decorations and fireworks displays. The temple featured here was built from his own plans. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.523
Photograph by Ed Pollard, Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II digital slr-2008.
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