Joseph Fricero (1807 Nice – 1870 Nice) was a pupil of Paul Emile Barberi and of Ingres. Since 1825 he made a study trips to Florence, Turkey (i.e. Constantinople), Italy, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Tunis, Algeria, Spain, and Russia. Fricero finally settled in his native Nice, where he became active as a drawing teacher for the resident nobility (for instance, Princess Theolinde von Wuerthemberg or Duchess von Leuchtenberg), and gained an entrance into its circles. Moreover, Fricero became a regular guest of the Russian aristocracy living on the Cote-d’Azur.
In 1849 in Marseille he married Josephine (Youzia) Koberwein, the illegitimate daughter of Tsar Nikolai I. In 1850 the artist traveled to St. Petersburg, where he worked at the Hermitage and for the Court. After a long stay in Russia, he returned to Nice. His works are on view in the Museum of Nice and in St. Petersburg Hermitage.
Joseph Fricero visited Macedonia in 1847. On his way to Russia, he passed through Italy, Croatia, Serbia and Turkey. His visit to Macedonia is documented in the book about his life: “Joepf Fricero 1807-1870 Peintre Voyageur (Painter Travelre)” by Serge Romain.
