Giovanni Battista Falda
Valduggia 1643 – 1678 Rome,
Palazzi di Roma de Piu Celebri Architetti, Vol II

Giovanni Battista Falda was an Italian draughtsman and printmaker who worked in Rome, the second half of the seventeenth century. He was mentored by Gianlorenzo Bernini when he moved to Rome at the age of fourteen. His early work was noticed by the printmaker and publisher Giovan Giacomo de Rossi who took Falda on under his wing at his studio. There, Falda learned all the technical skills of engraving and etching, while also honing his realistic style. De Rossi also put Falda in contact with emerging artists and architects of contemporary Rome.
Falda’s main subject was the urban landscape. He is best known for his views, or vedute, throughout the city. Falda's realistic style of engraving was highly influential for later printmakers, such as Giuseppe Vasi and Giovanni Battista Piranesi. While previous views of Rome focused primarily on the ancient city, Falda portrayed new architecture and urban expansion in the 17th century.

Bellini, Paolo. Italian Masters of the Sixteenth Century: Giovanni Battista Falda .vol 47, part 2, New York: Abaris, 1993.