Through the patronage of the Marquis de Villacerf, Oppenord received a stipend from the Crown to study in Rome. Although not in residence at the Academie, Oppenord attended its drawing classes. His interest in architecture is clear from a small sketchbook in a private collection in Sweden containing plans and studies of the Palazzo Farnese. During the last year of his stay in Italy, Oppenord seems to have been preparing a book on Roman architecture, another sketchbook in an American private collection has plans of the Chigi, Barberini, Farnese and Altiere Palaces. The present plan of the Capital is therefore consistent with the artist's activities in Rome which enabled him to become the Premier Architecture du Duc d'Orléans

The decorative scheme on the verso reflects the influence of Berain, though a feeling of depth and volume emanates from the composition by Oppenord's already drawing only half of the patterns,