Editing Francesco Zuccarelli (section)

==First English period (1752&ndash;1762)==
[[Image:Macbeth and the Witches.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|''Macbeth and the Witches.'' c. 1760.{{sfn|Spadotto|2007|pp=153–154}}]]
According to [[Henry Angelo]], it was [[Richard Dalton (librarian)|Richard Dalton]], the royal librarian, who persuaded Zuccarelli to travel to England.{{sfn|Angelo|1828|p=251|ps=, cited by {{harvnb|Spadotto|2016|pp=28–29}}.}} Consul Smith was also likely involved in some way.{{sfn|Levey|1959a|p=2}} A splendid canvas of the artist's early English period, signed and dated 1753, depicts a cheerful country festival. The Arcadian style remains his best known, where nature is transfigured into pleasant scenery, representing a platonic golden age, pervaded with beauty and love.{{sfn|Spadotto|2016|p=29}}

His decorative talent resulted in diverse work, including the design of tapestries with the weaver Paul Saunders at [[Holkham Hall]].{{sfn|Levey|1959a|pp=5–6}} Based on the tapestry [[modello|cartoons]], Zuccarelli was commissioned in 1758 by [[Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (fifth creation)|Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester]] to produce the corresponding paintings of [[Orient]]al themes, such as ''Pair with Dromedary''.{{sfn|Spadotto|2016|pp=40-42}}

By November 1757, Zuccarelli had become a member of the [[Society of Dilettanti]].{{sfn|Levey|1959a|p=5}} In 1760, he painted the elegiac ''Et in Arcadio Ego'', a work described as an "admirable picture" by the poet [[George Keate]].{{sfnm|1a1=Spadotto|1y=2007|1p=38|2a1=Spadotto|2y=2016|2pp=33-35|3a1=Levey|3y=1959a|3p=20}} In the same year, Zuccarelli borrowed from [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]], depicting a scene from ''[[Macbeth]]'' where [[Macbeth (character)|Macbeth]] and [[Banquo]] encounter the [[three witches]], noteworthy as being one of the first paintings to portray theatrical characters in a landscape.{{sfnm|1a1=Levey|1y=1959a|1pp=6–8|2a1=Spadotto|2y=2016|2p=35}} The impetus of the work may have come from the portrayals of Macbeth by the actor [[David Garrick]], a later acquaintance.{{sfn|Spadotto|2007|pp=38–39}} Its initial genesis was a pen and ink sketch, followed by paintings on panels and then canvas.{{sfn|Levey|1959a|pp=6-7}}

In this period, he also produced [[veduta|vedute]], a genre new to him, seen for example in ''A View of the [[River Thames]] from [[Richmond Hill, London|Richmond Hill]] looking towards [[Twickenham]]'', and the ''View of [[Vicenza]] with Ancient Monuments''.{{sfnm|1a1=Spadotto|1y=2007|1p=37|2a1=Spadotto|2y=2016|2p=39}} Zuccarelli held a sale of his canvases in 1762 at Prestage and Hobbs in London, before his departure for Italy. The pictures listed for sale comprise a heterogeneous lot, including religious scenes, a portrait, the Four Seasons, and an Arabian horse{{sfnm|1a1=Prestage and Hobbs|1y=1762|1pp=1–3|2a1=Spadotto|2y=2007|2p=38}} Also in 1762, King [[George III]] acquired thirty of his works through the purchase of much of Consul Smith's extensive art collection and library in Venice.{{sfnm|1a1=Cust|1y=1913|1p=153|2a1=Levey|2y=1959a|2pp=12–13}}