One of two ovals, The Archaeologist and An Apostle Preaching, both of which came into the Academy’s possession as part of the Fabio Rosa bequest in 1753. The painter was elected to the Academy in 1719 and became figure of such importance within the institution that, in 1755, he was elected ‘Principe’. In this painting, Panini again places his figures in a Roman landscape characterised by the presence of ancient monuments and invented objects.