View of the Palazzo Pitti

This curious rendering of the Palazzo Pitti was commissioned by the court architect Giacinto Marini. The clever trompe-l’oeil effect of the rolled-up canvas became necessary in order to accommodate the incongruent elevation maps that served as a base for this painting, but it was also due to the lack of adequate space in front of the actual building. The palace is shown larger than it really was, and the more than six hundred figures add another impressive dimension to the magnificent Medici residence.