This work depicts the solemn visit of Pope Benedict XIV to the construction site of the Trevi Fountain, one of the foremost symbols of eighteenth-century Rome. The scene captures the moment in which the pontiff, accompanied by his ecclesiastical retinue and dignitaries, admires the monumental work in progress, a testament to the renewed Baroque grandeur of the city. Pannini, with his customary perspectival and scenographic precision, also exalts the ritual nature of the ceremony, in which the papal presence becomes a means of artistic and political legitimization.
The painting reflects Pannini’s interest in representing public events and celebrations that united art, power, and religion. The Trevi Fountain, destined to become one of Rome’s most famous landmarks, is presented as the stage for an encounter between art and authority, where architectural magnificence intertwines with the symbolic function of papal patronage. The work thus stands as a visual document of the role of the Eternal City in the eighteenth century, as both the capital of faith and a theater of magnificence.
Unique quality material
Print on handmade Amalfi paper with frame Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm With frame: 30 x 40 cm Material: Printed on high-quality handmade Amalfi paper with frayed edges. Frame: Light brown beech wood and handmade wood pulp.
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