By 1850 he had completed his school studies and begun a legal career, but he switched to painting, by 1855 enrolling in the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples.
After the end of that war, he was awarded a bronze cross by the Geneva Convention for forming part of a military ambulance team during the hostilities.
He published various books on art and wrote for several journals, including articles called l'Italia at the Exhibition of Paris; l'Arte in Italia ; L'Illustrazione Italiana.
Among his works are Death of St Joseph Calasanz, (1859);[2] The Madness of Haydee, displayed at the 1860 Exhibition of Florence; After an Orgy, depicting a Pulcinella character in a masked ball; Episode of May 15, 1848 in Naples; La sera del dì di festa, depicting a raucous party with dancing; Donne che si preparano per un ballo in maschera; Una processione di penitenza durante l'eruzione del Vesuvio del 1631, al ponte della Maddalena; La pioggia; Uscendo dal ballo all'alba; and Ricordo di Parigi; and Mary Magdalen at the tomb of Jesus, painted for the cathedral of Altamura.
Netti also painted in Neo-Pompeian style, including Gladiator games during a meal in Pompei[3] and Greek Choir ascending to Temple, awarded a prize at the 1876 Exhibition of Naples.