A Flemish priest, architect, draughtsman and printmaker, Lieven Cruyl was born in Ghent and received his theological training in Louvain. Between 1660 and 1664 he served as a priest in Wetteren, near Ghent, and in 1662 submitted a design for the reconstruction of the western tower of the Sint-Michielskerk in Ghent in a Late Gothic style, a project never undertaken due to lack of funds. In 1664 Cruyl left for Italy, where was to remain for the next fourteen years.

He spent several years in Rome, where he produced a number of drawn views of the city. Many of his views of Rome were reproduced as prints – some by him and others by professional printmakers – to cater to the demand for souvenirs from foreign visitors to the city, and seve...