Modern Rome, Panini

Picture Gallery with Views of Modern Rome, by Panini, is an incredibly overwhelming piece. It is very realistic and extremely complex. Although there is some contrast between dark and light, it is very scattered and I would not say that it defines the work. The viewer's eye is drawn to the people standing and sitting in the room because they are more vivid, prominent figures, but it is very hard to remain focused on one portion of the image because there are so many small domains of focus throughout the painting. The piece is so cluttered with architecture, sculptures, and real people, that it is difficult to tell what is 'real' and what is just a painting within the painting. In the background of the painting, where the hall opens, the color of the sky matches the sky in many of the small paintings, creating the feeling of a room that is very open, even though it is cluttered. In the bottom left corner of the piece, there are tiny people that look as though they could be 'real', but are extremely out of proportion with the 'real' people because they are part of a smaller painting. This along with the deceptive skies creates a very surreal perspective and place for the viewer, as if the viewer is looking into a room in a dream-world.

This painting really provokes a feeling of magnificent luxury and wealth, but in excess. It is very reminiscent of current-day hoarding, and although beautiful, the painting is too busy and confusing to be a comfortable image to take in.