Eugenio Eduardo Zampighi

Eugenio Eduardo Zampighi ( 1859 –1944) was an Italian painter and photographer. He was a ‘Genre’ artist using everyday subjects for his art.

He was influenced from an early age by the Modenese painter, Giovanni Muzzioli who was appreciated by critics for his ‘verite’ approach to subject matter. In 1880 he won the Poletti prize which secured him the chance to continue his studies in Rome and then Florence, where in 1884 he decided to settle permanently. His ‘Genre’ scenes brought him great international success with lots of international commissions.

His photography was mainly geared to producing subjects to paint and he dressed his models in peasant costumes or as common people. He used these to paint works that portrayed an idyllic and romantic image of Italian rural life which was so much appreciated by foreign tourists that he continued to produce the same stereotypes well into the early decades of the 20th century.