In posa per Leopoldo Zuccolo 1760 - 1833

Description

The European Printmaking Triennial continues its study and promotion of the graphic art collections held by the Civic Museums of Udine through a new program dedicated to three significant holdings. These collections showcase the work of two formidable draftsmen—Leopoldo Zuccolo and Antonio Pontini—and reflect the discerning taste of the collector and patron Tito Miotti.

For this 45th edition, we are dedicating an exhibition to Leopoldo Zuccolo, a key figure who championed Neoclassical taste in Friuli. His art was grounded in a solid classical education—informed by Enlightenment ideas—and a deep passion for archaeology, particularly that of Aquileia.

Through his portraits, writings, notes, personal confessions, and poems, Zuccolo—a prolific writer and tireless draftsman—left us an invaluable, firsthand record of his times and his keen observations of contemporary society. Today, this allows us to encounter—up close and in an intimate, direct dialogue—hundreds of faces that would otherwise be unknown to us. They tell the stories of generations of Udine and Friuli residents in a sort of daily diary that runs parallel to his studies of glyptics and his documentation of Aquileia’s antiquities.

The exhibition features over a hundred graphic works, including publications he illustrated and—notably—his spirited, expressive small-scale portraits that capture the fashions and tastes of the era (viewable through magnifying glasses). These are displayed alongside highly precise drawings of gems and antiquities, as well as a selection of portraits by Zuccolo himself and his teacher, Giovan Battista de Rubeis, all specially restored for the occasion.

Entrance with paiment of the ticket 
Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–18:00

Organized by:

Triennale Europea dell'Incisione 
Civici Musei di Udine in collaborazione con la Regione Autonoma FVG, la Soprintendenza Archivistica del Friuli Venezia Giulia, la Fondazione Friuli e il patrocinio dell'Università degli Studi di Udine