Pantheon, Rome
The painting was made at much the same time as Rosa penned "Babilonia", a satirical condemnation of the papal court. According to art critic Brian Sewell, the target of the satirical painting could not be misinterpreted. Rosa's friends warned him after viewing it privately, that the painting should not be displayed openly as it was a satirical attack on Pope Alexander VII's patronage. In 1659, the painting was exhibited at the Pantheon, Rome, which almost resulted in Rosa being jailed and excommunicated. Only the intervention of the pope's brother, Don Marco Chigi, saved him from this humiliation.