Interior of the Pantheon, Rome (after Giovanni Paolo Panini)

The Pantheon, a well-preserved monument of the Roman Empire in its greatest glory and splendor, was built and probably also designed by the Emperor Hadrian early in the second century AD. Once a shrine to all the Roman gods, it was later consecrated as a Christian church. The majestic proportions of the interior—its height equal to its diameter—appealed greatly to architects of the Renaissance, and the dome with coffers decreasing in size as they approach the circular opening in the center makes an unforgettable impression. This is one of the most celebrated sites depicted by Giovanni Paolo Panini, a painter, decorator, and stage designer whose countless paintings and drawings of Roman views provided the basis for many of Pond and Knapton’s reproductive prints.