How photography duo Coppi Barbieri mastered the art of the still life
A rich new monograph traces Lucilla Barbieri and Fabrizio Coppi’s formative creative years in the 1990s

Lucilla Barbieri and Fabrizio Coppi and first met in Milan at design school in the late 1980s, forming an alchemical partnership in work and in life. The husband and wife duo, now based in London, have since joined ranks with the most in demand commercial photographers working today. From interiors to jewellery, beauty, and accessories, the longtime Wallpaper* contributors have earned plaudits for their alluring approach to advertising, amassing a client list that includes Apple, Chanel, Cartier, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton.
Before their commercial career took off, Coppi Barbieri were honing their craft with early experiments of photographs of flowers submerged in water, household objects like plastic bottles and glassware, and backlit dresses animated by fans. Now, a monograph published by Damiani traces these formative creative years, from 1992-1997, and how they mastered the art of the still life from their Milan home and photography studio.
Although the pair have now adopted digital cameras to keep up with the mercurial pace of commercial commissions, Coppi Barbieri first sharpened their photographic skills on a large-format Sinar camera. The process was inherently slow, calm, and intimate: shooting 5x7 inch transparency film allowed them an all-important control over colours, while also providing immediate results that did not need to be printed. They would develop sheets of film – sometimes sending one at a time – at nearby lab, before making any adjustments to the set-up of the image.
Their ethereal images share an affinity with the paintings of Giorgio Morandi and Domenico Gnoli, who they’ve named among their influences. Coppi Barbieri, too, looked to fashion photographers for inspiration, from Paolo Roversi (who has penned the foreword of the pair’s new monograph) to Sarah Moon and Javier Vallhonrat. Ultimately, their vision feels distinctly their own. Whether they’re bringing British pop art pioneer Patrick Caulfield’s paintings to life, or taking a Technicolor tumble into cocktail hour, the duo have an unparalleled knack for elevating the ordinary into the extraordinary.
INFORMATION
Coppi Barbieri: Early Works 1992-1997, €59, published by Damiani. For more information, visit the Coppi Barbieri website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
From Rembrandt to Warhol, a Paris exhibition asks: what do artists wear?
‘The Art of Dressing – Dressing like an Artist’ at Musée du Louvre-Lens inspects the sartorial choices of artists
By Upasana Das
-
Meet Lisbeth Sachs, the lesser known Swiss modernist architect
Pioneering Lisbeth Sachs is the Swiss architect behind the inspiration for creative collective Annexe’s reimagining of the Swiss pavilion for the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025
By Adam Štěch
-
A stripped-back elegance defines these timeless watch designs
Watches from Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Rolex and more speak to universal design codes
By Hannah Silver
-
‘Dressed to Impress’ captures the vivid world of everyday fashion in the 1950s and 1960s
A new photography book from The Anonymous Project showcases its subjects when they’re dressed for best, posing for events and celebrations unknown
By Jonathan Bell
-
Daniel Arsham’s new monograph collates the works of the auto-obsessed American artist
‘Arsham Motorsport’ is two volumes of inspiration, process and work, charting artist Daniel Arsham’s oeuvre inspired by the icons and forms of the automotive industry
By Jonathan Bell
-
Era-defining photographer David Bailey guides us through the 1980s in a new tome not short of shoulder pads and lycra
From Yves Saint Laurent to Princess Diana, London photographer David Bailey dives into his 1980s archive in a new book by Taschen
By Tianna Williams
-
Inside Joan Didion’s unseen diary of personal relationships and post-therapy notes
A newly discovered diary by Joan Didion is soon to be published. Titled 'Notes to John', the journal documents her relationship with her daughter, husband, alcoholism, and depression
By Tianna Williams
-
Carsten Höller’s new Book of Games: 336 playful pastimes for the bold and the bored
Artist Carsten Höller invites readers to step out of their comfort zone with a series of subversive games
By Anne Soward
-
Distracting decadence: how Silvio Berlusconi’s legacy shaped Italian TV
Stefano De Luigi's monograph Televisiva examines how Berlusconi’s empire reshaped Italian TV, and subsequently infiltrated the premiership
By Zoe Whitfield
-
How a sprawling new book honours the legacy of cult photographer Larry Fink
‘Larry Fink: Hands On / A Passionate Life of Looking’ pays homage to an American master. ‘He had this ability to connect,’ says publisher Daniel Power
By Jordan Bassett
-
New Jay-Z coffee-table book dives into the Brooklyn rapper's archives
'Book of HOV: A Tribute to Jay-Z' is a hefty tome for a hefty talent
By Craig McLean