he initially trained in rome with tommaso righi (1727–1802) and then continued his studies at the accademia di san luca. he went to london in 1773, armed with a letter of introduction from matthew nulty, an english antiquarian and amateur sculptor in rome, and worked under agostino carlini, a founding member of the royal academy. ceracchi exhibited busts at the academy 1776-79 and was proposed for membership but received only four votes. his bust of the academy's president sir joshua reynolds, is in the collection of the royal academy of art. living in carlini's lodgings near soho square, ceracchi modelled architectural ornament and bas-relief panels for robert adam, most notably a grand bas-relief of a sacrifice to bacchus, fourteen feet long and six feet high, in adam's patent mastic composition, for the rear façade of mr. desenfans' house in portland place.