Statue of Ganymede and the eagle ; Statue of Ganymede, wearing the Phrygian cap, with the eagle and barking dog (inset) ; Statue of Ganymede, wearing the Phrygian cap, embracing the eagle.

Renaissance representation of classical ruins was a symbol of antiquity, enlightenment, and lost knowledge. Ruins spoke to the passage of time. The greatest subject for ruin artists was the overgrown and crumbling Classical Rome remains. Forum and the Colosseum, Pantheon, and the Appian Way. Initially, art representations of Rome were realistic, but soon the imagination of artists took flight. Roman ruins were scattered around the city, but frustrated artists began placing them in more pleasing arrangements. Capriccio was a style of imaginary scenes of buildings and ruins.

Greek myths, art, and architecture have captivated the imaginations of artists since the renaissance.