While researching my latest novel The Echoes of Love, which is set in Venice and Tuscany, Italy, I read widely on the country – cuisine, architecture and, of course, art. One of the artists whose work most appealed to me was Francesco Zuccarelli, and so I weaved into the story one of his paintings, which I placed in my heroine Venetia’s apartment.

Zuccarelli was a highly acclaimed painter of the late Baroque period. Baroque art originated in Rome before spreading across Europe – deeply admired by the Roman Catholic Church and the aristocrats of most countries. The Baroque style was highly dramatic (think exaggerated poses), making it very easy to interpret by the viewer. It celebrated drama and passion and grandeur, and was not limited only to painting, but also extended into literature, sculpture, dance, music and architecture.

Zuccarelli was born in 1702 in Tuscany. At the tender age of 11, he began an apprenticeship with a portrait painter named Giovanni Maria Morandi. Zuccarelli remained in Tuscany until he was 30 years of age, during which time he honed his craft in painting and etching, focusing on religious and mythological scenes, and he developed an interest in landscape drawings.

Venice was (and is) the perfect setting for any landscape artist, and in 1732 Zuccarelli moved here. The death of artist Marco Ricci had created something of a gap in the market for a landscape artist, and Zuccarelli was quick to fill it – to good appreciation, for people loved his style, especially the kind colours he used and his trademark soft, sweet expressions on figures. Soon he was enjoying the patronage of powerful personalities. He also began collaborating with others, notably with celebrated architect and artist Antonio Visentini, with whom he produced a set of playing cards themed on the Old Testament.

Other notable works from Zuccarelli at this time include a set of dreamy paintings based on the Bible story of Jacob which now hang at Windsor Castle, England. Indeed, he travelled to England in 1752, where he was inspired to paint a Macbeth scene. Subsequently, King George III snapped up no less than 25 of his works at auction.  The English loved his style, and when he returned to England in 1765 he was much in demand. He was even a founding member of the British Royal Academy of Arts, and he was personally commissioned by the king for a work (Finding of Moses).

Back in Venice, Zuccarelli was invited to join the prestigious Venetian Academy, for both critics and the establishment alike loved his works. He rose through the ranks to become president, and continued to paint until his death in 1788 in Florence.

For me, Zuccarelli represents just one of so many fascinating elements of Italian culture. It is easy to see why I chose to situate my love story in Venice and Tuscany, amid such a rich artistic and intellectual heritage, given that my heroine is a mosaic restoration specialist.

If you’d like to see  Zuccarelli paintings, the BBC Arts website offers a slideshow of 57 of his works here: www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/franco-zuccarelli. You can also watch a video of some of his works here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDxu4xdgZ8Q.