Niccolò Cannicci was first introduced to painting by his father, painter Gaetano Cannicci. From 1862 to 1865 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, under Pollastrini, occasionally attending Antonio Ciseri's nude drawing classes. After 1868, he went to live at his father's house in S. Gimignano due to health problems. It was there that his personal style as a painter began to coalesce from his undeniable academic training in combination with his natural inclination towards observing nature. Cannicci painted strictly from real life. The hills around Siena were his studio; he painted the countryside right out in the sunshine, with a delicate and moderate palette.

In 1875 he visited Paris with his best friend Fra...