Giovanni Paolo Panini or Pannini (17 June 1691 – 21 October 1765) was a painter and architect who worked in Rome and is primarily known as one of the vedutisti («view painters»). As a painter, Panini is best known for his vistas of Rome, in which he took a particular interest in the city’s antiquities. Among his most famous works are his view of the interior of the Pantheon (on behalf of Francesco Algarotti), and his vedute—paintings of picture galleries containing views of Rome. Most of his works, especially those of ruins, have a fanciful and unreal embellishment characteristic of capriccio themes. In this they resemble the capricci of Marco Ricci. Panini also painted portraits, including one of Pope Benedict XIV.

Con respecto a ésta obra, hay que ponerla en relación con un estudio de personajes, muy similar a éste pero con menos personajes, existente en The Morgan Library, Four Studies for Half-Length Portraits of Men, 215 x 217 mm, regalo de Charles Ryskamp in honor of Mario Modestini.( Ver foto)