Riccarda de Eccher was born in 1954 in Bolzano, and raised in Udine, Italy.
She began painting mainly in watercolors, later in her life, expressing her love of mountains, particularly the northern Italian Alps of her homeland- the Dolomites, and has made them the subject of her work.
A seasoned mountaineer, de Eccher has scaled many of the summits throughout the world, including Mount Everest, which she conquered in the 80’s, a rare feat, especially by an Italian woman.
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de Eccher rests in her tent as she prepares to hike further up Mt. Everest
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de Eccher, with heavy gear, looks up as she crosses treacherous terrain and deep crevasses within the snow banks and rock formations while hiking Mt. Everest. A ladder and rope is the only thing separating her from the dangerous cavity below.
During her many hikes, Eccher became fascinated in the small details she encountered, such as flowers, plants, and interesting rock formations. These documented studies, first in pencil, and then in other sketching materials, led to larger investigations in watercolor, which in turn became large scale, realistic representations of the monumental peaks she explored.
de Eccher’s work has been featured at the Casa Cavazzini Museo d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Udine, Italy; Galleria d’Arte Moderna Enrico de Cillia, Treppo Carnico, Italy; Gallery ArtCube, Paris, France; and the Sala delle Esposizioni, Bolzano, Italy, among others.