Rome: View of the Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano

The painting shows a view of the Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano looking east, with the Scala Santa beyond. It was long considered the work of Canaletto, however, recently it has been universally acknowledged as an early masterpiece by his nephew. The picture is a key work because it illustrates Bellotto’s emergence as a distinctive artistic personality in his own right, also demonstrating the nature of the artistic relationship between him and his uncle.