Luigi Levi, who signed his paintings as Ulvi Liegi (an anagram of his real name), was born in Livorno in a wealthy Jewish family. He got initial art education in Livorno, and then he moved to Florence, where he studied in the Academy of Arts under Adolfo Tommasi, Carlo Markò the Younger, and Giuseppe Ciaranfi. While in Florence, he became friends with many artists from the Macchiaioli group, first Telemaco Signorini, and later one of the leaders of the group, Giovanni Fattori. Liegi first exhibited his paintings in 1882, and got positive responses. In the 1880s, he painted in the style close to the Macchiaioli, but later started to paint in a style close to impressionism. In 1886–1888 Liegi visited Paris, where he studied works of impressionists, and London; in 1889, two of his works were exhibited in the World's Fair in Paris.