Giovanni Paolo Panini is the protagonist of an important exhibition in his hometown, Piacenza.
When: from 20 December 2022 to 19 March 2023
Where: Galleria Biffi Arte, Via Chiapponi, 39 Piacenza
The exhibition, in the spaces of the historical Palazzo Marazzani Visconti, hosts graphic works, paintings and a portrait of the artist. The exhibition reveals the knowledge of scenography acquired thanks to the presence in the Piacenza area of the Bibbiena family, who enriched public and private places with painted scenes of architectures.
The importance of the artist when he was still alive is highlighted thanks to some engravings by artists now in the collections of the Louvre and the British Museum.
The artist's soul is captured through the portrait, painted by Charles Natoire around 1750 and never exhibited before.
The works, mostly from private collections, tell the story of Panini, who was known for scenes carefully set among Roman ruins. Within these scenes there are some small figures, that in style and manner of realisation represent the artist's signature.
The exhibition, curated by Marco Horak and Fabio Obertelli, opens ten years after the death of Ferdinando Arisi, a historian and critic from Piacenza who dealt extensively with Panini.
