Francis Panini

Francesco Panini (1745–1812) was an Italian painter, draughtsman, and print publisher active in 18th-century Rome. The son of renowned veduta painter Giovanni Paolo Panini, Francesco inherited a keen eye for architecture and landscape, which he expressed through detailed drawings, hand-coloured prints, and collaborations with leading engravers of the time.

Based in Rome during the height of the Grand Tour era, Panini worked closely with artists such as Giovanni Volpato, Carlo Antonini, Giuseppe Vasi, and Giovanni Ottaviani. Around 1770, he produced a celebrated series of hand-coloured views of St. Peter’s Basilica, capturing the grandeur of Vatican architecture with precision and elegance.

His partnership with Volpato was particularly significant. Together, they created and published a series of engravings after Raphael’s frescoes in the Vatican’s Raphael Rooms and loggias between 1772 and 1776. Though these prints often took creative liberties, their decorative appeal made them highly sought-after souvenirs for visitors to Rome. Panini also contributed to a major series after Annibale Carracci’s frescoes in the Palazzo Farnese, published between 1775 and 1777.

Francesco Panini’s drawings served as the basis for Volpato’s famed panoramic view of Rome, now housed in the Rijksmuseum. His legacy bridges artistic craftsmanship and the evolving print culture of 18th-century Italy.