Frederico Zuccaro or Zuccari, younger brother of Taddeo Zuccaro, was born in 1540 or 1542 in San Angelo and learned painting with the latter in Rome. He also worked with Barocci for the decoration of the Belevedere producing notably The History of Moses and Pharaoh and Canas wedding, two works which established his fame.
Zuccaro also worked in the Vatican and in the Farnese Villa and was invited to Florence to complete works in the Santa Maria dei Fiori church that Vasari had not finished.
Taddeo Zuccaro died in 1566 and Frederico was called upon by Pope george XIII to paint the vault of the of the Cappella Paolina but a dispute with some members of the Papal household forced him to flee.
Frederico went to France in 1572 and was employed by the Cardinal of Lorraine. He then visited Antwerp where he produced some cartons for a series of tapestries and after a stay in Amsterdam, came to London in 1574.
He worked mainly as a portrait painter and produced several interesting works representing members of the English court and of Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary Stuart.
Zuccaro returned to Italy and stayed in Venice during several months. There he worked for the Great Council before obtaining a Papal pardon.
Back in Rome, he resumed work in the Cappella Paolina and produced several paintings before King Philipp II invited him to Madrid around 1585.
Zuccaro decorated several rooms of the Escurial Palace but found little success in Spain. He soon went back to Rome where he founded the Academy of Saint Luke to which all his belongings were donated after his death on July 20th 1609.
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