(Rome 1723–1790)
The Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Rome
oil on canvas, 30 x 44 cm, framed

We are grateful to Dr. Laura Laureati for confirming the attribution on the basis of a digital photograph

The son of Hendrik Frans van Lint, called “lo Studio” (1684-1763), Jacob (Giacomo) earned his reputation as a vedutista, painting detailed topographical views of Rome in the manner of his father, and achieved a distinct personal style. Jacob primarily painted the ancient and modern monuments of Rome, such as the Castel Sant’Angelo, the Quirinale palace, Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum and Piazza Navona, which were much requested.

The present painting depicts the Basilica of Saint John Lateran and was executed possibly slightly later than the inauguration of the new façade of the Basilica, designed by Alessandro Galilei during the papacy of Clement XII and completed in 1735. The present work displays a particular viewpoint of the Basilica represented uniquely by van Lint and another version of the same composition, approximately of the same dimensions, with few variations is known (Rome, private collection) (see A.Busiri Vici, Tre pittori di Anversa del ‘600 e ‘700 lavorano a Roma, Roma 1987, p. 290 no. 340).
The viewpoint is the same, although in the present painting a larger portion of the ruin on the left and of the Triclinium Lateranense on the right are visible on the two sides, moreover some of the figures are slightly different.