As of the early 17th century and thanks to the work done by the Academies, artists began to specialise in pictorial genres and to explore aerial perspective that would allow them to portray a sense of grandeur in their landscapes. In the 18th century this genre developed into two distinct styles - townscapes and landscapes reconstructed from nature.
In Italy, the townscape was above all developed by Gaspar Van Wittel, nicknamed Vanvitelli. His influence spread so widely throughout Venice that a school was set up there by the great master Antonio Canal, more commonly known as Canaletto (1720-1780). Perspective was almost scientifically laid out with the help of the camera optica and small characters placed along the same line of vision were characteristic of these landscapes.
During that time, artists were constructing whole scenes including elements of architecture, particularly ancient ruins, giving nature a poetic dimension that was theorised by Diderot in his Salons, which commented on Hubert Robert's or Joseph Vernet's work.
Rome, with both its expressively picturesque countryside and ruins, was the source of inspiration for the 18th century painters of this style of composed landscape.
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