St Peter's, Rome

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.