CIRCE ENTERTAINS ODYSSUS AT A BANQUET.
OIL ON CANVAS

GIOVANNI PAOLA PANNINI    ITALIAN 1691 - 1765

By Ronnie Koenig

IN THIS PAINTING, LEFT FOREGROUND, WE SEE A BEAUTIFUL ARCHED MONUMENTAL BUILDING. FRONT AND BACK HAVE  DOMED INSIDE CEIUNGS WITH MOTIVES AND MEDALLIONS. AN OPEN ROTANDA IN THE MIDDLE ACTS AS A BREAK IN THE ARCHWAY, WITH A GALLERIE ON TOP, SO YOU CAN VIEW THE ACTIVITIES BENEATH.

BIG COLUMNS ON EACH SIDE GRACE THE INSIDE WALKWAY, INTERCHANGING WITH STATUES IN NICHES, STATUES ON THE OUTSIDE ENTRANCE GIVE IT A GRAND ENTRACE TO THE PALACE. A CONNECTED BRIDGE LEADING TO THE PORTICO AND ENTRANCE TO THE PALACE HAS A ORNAMENTAL RAILING ON TOP, WHICH IS USED AS A TERRACE. SMALL COLORFUL PEOPLE FROLICKING ON IT. STROLLING OVER THE BRIDGE YOU PASS A LARGE FOUNTAIN. ANOTHER FOUNTAIN IS IN THE RIGHT FOREGROUND. THE PALACE SLIGHTLY SET BACK ON THE RIGHT FEATURED A HIGH DOME , WITH BALCONIES ON THE WINDOWS.

IT IS A LOVELY SUMMERDAY, THE SKY SO BLUE A FEW CLOUDS, TREES VISIBLE IN THE FOREGROUND. RIGHT THROUGH T THE ARCHWAY AND BEHIND THE PALACE. A PERFECT SETTING
FOR CIRCE TO ENTERTAIN ODYSSEUS. ABOVE FLOATS HERMES, WHO HAS GIVEN AN ANTIDOTE TO ODYSSEUS, A HEALING PLANT DRINK ,TO WITHSTAND ClRCES MAGIC. IF HE CAN SURVIVE THE

POISONED DRINK, HE WILL BE ABLE TO GAIN THE RELEASE OF HIS COMPANIONS, FOREGROUND LEFT, WHOM SHE HAD TURNED INTO PIGS. WHILE ON THE OTHER TERRACE THE SERVANTS OF CIRCE AS WELL AS LIONS, BEARS, DOGS, AND OTHER ANIMALS, FORMER BEWITCHED VISITORS APPEAR. ODYSSUS JUST RETURNED FROM THE ISLAND OF OGYGIA, WHERE HE STAYED FOR SEVEN YEARS WITH THE NYMPH CAMPSO. THIS AND A VERY SIMILAR PAINTING HERMES APPEARS TO CAPYPSO, WAS AQUIRED BY JOHN RINGLING.

GIOVANNINI PANNINI WAS A RENOWED PAINTER OF ROMAN ARCHITECTURE AND RUINS, OFTEN WITH BIBLICAL OR MYTHOLOGICAL SCENES INDICATED BY SMALL VIVACIOUS FIGURES. HE LOVED TO PAINT ITALIAN ELITES ENJOYING THEMSELVES IN GRAND CLASSICAL SETTINGS , CELEBRATED IN OPEN AIR WITH A BACKDROP OF ORNATE AND WELLKEPT COLUMNS AND ARCADES, MIXING CLASSICAL AND BAROQUE STYLES.

PANNINI, BORN IN PIACENZA , MOVED TO ROME IN 1717 TO STUDY UNDER BENEDETTO LUTI AND ANDREA LOCATELLI BETWEEN 1718 to 1725. HE WORKED ON FRESCOS IN THE VILLA PATRIZl, WHICH IS SINCE DESTROYED AND ON DECORATIONS FOR THE PALAZZO QUIRINALE UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF CARDINAL SPINOZA AND POPE INNOCENTXIII.

IN THE LATE 1720 CARDINAL DE POLIGNAC , THEN PANNINIS PATRON, HELD A FETE IN HONOR OF TIHE BIRTH OF THE FRENCH DAUPHIN, SON OF LOUIS XV. PANNINI RECORDED THIS ENTERTAINMENT IN A PAINTING OF 1729 . LOUVRE IN PARIS, THESE WORKS PARTICULARLY , AND HIS MARRIAGE TO A FRENCH WOMAN, ESTABLISHED A CLOSE CONNECTION WITH FRANCE , AND IN 1732 HE WAS ELECTED TO THE ACADIMIE ROYALE DE PEINTURE ET DE SCUPTURE IN PARIS.

PANNINI SPECIALIZED IN PICTURES OF RUINS. HE PAINTED MANY ROMANTIC IMAGINARY SCENES, KNOWN AS CAPRICCI , AS WELL AS MORE REALISTIC TOPOGRAPHICAL VIEWS OF ROME, KNOWN AS VEDUTE . HE FREQUENTLY COMBINED THE TWO TO PRODUCE AN ACCURATE RENDERRING OF REAL RUINS SET IN AN IMAGINARY LANDSCAPE.

PANNINI PAINTED WITH EXTEME ARCHITECTURAL ACCURACY , VIVID COLORING ANDA NOTABLE BRILLIANCE AND CLARITY OF ATMOSPHERIC EFFECT. HE LIKED TO ENLIVEN AND ANIMATE BY ADDING NUMEROUS FIGURES. HE WAS NOT ONLY A PAINTER BUT HAD MANY INTERESTS. HE DESIGNED THE CHAPEL OF ST TERESA IN S MARIA DELLA SCALA IN ROME. PROVIDED DRAWINGS OF DESIGNS FOR CARVINGS AND ECCLESIASTICAL FURNISHINGS, HE WAS ONE OF A PANEL OF A PANEL OF JUDGES FOR THE COMPETITION TO DESIGN THE FACADE OF S GIOVANNI IN LATERANO .

HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE ACADEMIE DE FRANCE AND ASSIGNED TO TEACH.

IN THE END WORKING FOR HIM WAS HUBERT ROBERT 1754 AND HIS SON FRANCESCO PANNINI 1738 HE WORKED EXCLUSIVELY IN HIS WORKSHOP IN ROME.