Short answers, pulled from the story.
A fresco showing a bird's eye view of an ancient city hangs inside the Baths of Trajan in Rome today. Eugenio la Rocca studied this newly discovered work and published his findings in Imago Mundi Vol. 53 in 2001.
Halfway through the 17th century the cityscape became an independent genre in the Netherlands. Jan Vermeer painted View of Delft between 1660 and 1661 with quite accurate detail during this period.
Canaletto and Guardi produced works that defined the Venetian style of veduta in the 18th century. Their paintings showed detailed views of canals, palaces and public squares with great clarity.
Impressionists focused on atmosphere and dynamics because rapid industrialization transformed European cities into bustling centers of commerce and labor. They painted smoke from factories and steam rising from trains as part of the urban experience to capture movement and mood.
Well-known living cityscape painters include Rackstraw Downes Antonio López García and Richard Estes. Yvonne Jacquette made a specialty of aerial cityscapes showing views from high above ground level.