Stefano Bruzzi was born in Piacenza in 1835. After an apprenticeship with Bernardino Massari, he went to Rome in 1854. Here then among landscape artists like Alessandro Castelli and through studying the master, without enrolling at the Academy, Bruzzi learned the elements of an excellent painting technique. In Rome he entered the company of young artists of the time as Stefano Ussi, Enrico Gamba, Raffaele Casnedi, with whom he attended the private academy of Gigi. He went to paint from life at Albano, Ariccia and Lake Nemi,with Nino Costa and this important partnership lasted until 1857. Costa was introduced to Arnold Böcklin, and their friendship lasted until the last years of the great Swiss painter.

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