Italian Neoclassical painter: Painter of mythological scenes, religious subjects, portraits; Engraver; Draftsman; Restorer Although Giovanni Battista Cipriani was born in Florence, he worked mostly in England. He moved to London in 1755 under the guidance of Sir William Chambers and Joseph Wilton, both of whom he met in Rome. He decorated many public and private buildings and also taught at the Royal Academy.