I had known Luigi Zuccheri for many years, and I was saddened by his untimely passing. I always thought highly of Zuccheri as a painter, and I thought highly of him, too, for his impassioned pursuit of all the secrets of tempera painting, which is the origin of all painting. On this particular painting technique, he also wrote a very intelligent and thorough treatise, which I still treasure. He understood that the freshness and the transparency of certain tones and of certain sweeps of colors can be obtained only with tempera painting, and for this reason he dedicated his fruitful life as an artist to the study of that technique. I’d often see him in Venice, during my stays in that city, and I spent long hours in his studio talking to him about all the advantages and the secrets of tempera painting. He would tell me about his recipes and, in my presence, mix colors with egg yolk, gum, and other ingredients that he was gradually testing and perfecting. Out of this continuous study and this continuous pursuit were born all of those fresh and lively creations which one can admire in the numerous works that make up his oeuvre, in which appear luminous skies with far-off horizons, blooming fields with trees and plants, butterflies and all kinds of polychrome birds, and reptiles and animals too. In a little volume, which is a cherished possession of mine, one can admire all of these luminous creations of Luigi Zuccheri. I am sure that with the passing of time, Zuccheri will become increasingly understood and admired.

Translated from the Italian by Brian Robert Moore