CODAZZI, Viviano

The painting shows a view of the Campo Vaccino, as the Roman Forum was called in the 17th century, with the Capitoline Hill in the background. The church of Santa Maria Liberatrice, with its simple fa�ade dating from 1617, dominates the left foreground. The church was demolished in 1899 to make way for archeological excavations. To the right stands what is to this day one of the Forum’s principal sights, the three remaining columns of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, joined by the vestiges of the architrave.

This painting can be considered an important link in the development of 18th-century Venetian “veduta”. The pronounced geometric forms of the side wall of Santa Maria Liberatrice, its placement parallel to the image surface, the use of shadows to unite and arrange the composition - all of these devices were commonly employed by Canaletto in his early works, and by Bellotto. Codazzi was one of the first Italian artists to adopt architectural perspective systematically in vedute. In this respect as well, this painting foreshadows the art of Carlevaris, Canaletto and Bellotto.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 2 minutes):

Jean-Philippe Rameau: Castor et Pollux, March

Viviano Codazzi belonged to the numerous followers of Pieter van Laer, a Dutch painter working in Rome. This group of painter was known as the ‘Bamboccianti’ after the nickname of van Laer, ‘Il Bamboccio’ (which may be translated ‘little clumsy one’). Their pictures are called bambocciate (Italian for childishness). The Bamboccianti were mainly Northeners working in Rome, such as the Flemings Jan Miel and Michiel Sweerts, but also included Italians, such as Michelangelo Cerquozzi and Viviano Codazzi.

The spatial construction and architecture in this painting recalls a number of other works by Codazzi.