he went back to rome in 1781 but had to leave the city twice due to his links with the jacobin movements. he befriended johann wolfgang von goethe during the german poet's grand tour in italy in 1786 - 1788, as they dwelled in the same building in via del corso where ceracchi had his atelier/house. goethe commissioned him a bust of johann joachim winckelmann and they lived together in ceracchi's studio for a brief period in 1788.