Piazza Navona, Rome
1699
Step into the bustling heart of 17th-century Rome, where the famous Piazza Navona is transformed into a lively open-air market rather than a quiet tourist spot. Dutch-born artist Gaspar Van Wittel captured this scene with such precise perspective that it feels like a panoramic photograph taken centuries before the camera was invented. You can spot the iconic Fountain of the Four Rivers with its towering obelisk in the distance, while locals haggle over goods near the Fountain of Neptune in the foreground. Van Wittel essentially pioneered the 'veduta' or view painting genre here, paving the way for future masters like Canaletto to document European cities.
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