Gerolamo Induno, Portrait of Giuseppe Garibaldi, Late 19th Century, Mixed Media on Paper

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Garibaldi is an artwork realized in late 19th by Gerolamo Induno. Mixed media on paper. Hand signed on the margin. … Read more Garibaldi is an artwork realized in late 19th by Gerolamo Induno. Mixed media on paper. Hand signed on the margin. The artwork is depicted skillfully in a well-balanced composition. Inculdes passpartout cm 50x35 Good conditions. Gerolamo Induno (Milan, 1825 – Milan, 1890) Gerolamo Induno was one of the most important Italian painters of the mid-to-late 19th century, renowned for his vivid depictions of military life, patriotic scenes, and intimate genre subjects. He was the younger brother of Domenico Induno, also a celebrated painter, and together they played a central role in shaping the visual culture of the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification. Induno studied at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan under Luigi Sabatelli and Giuseppe Bisi, where he honed his academic draftsmanship and developed a strong foundation in narrative painting. Initially, he assisted his brother Domenico in genre compositions, but soon established an individual style distinguished by greater realism and emotional immediacy. Gerolamo was not only a painter of soldiers—he was one. Deeply committed to Italy’s struggle for independence, he enlisted as a volunteer in the First War of Independence (1848–49), fighting alongside Garibaldi’s troops. His direct experiences on the battlefield profoundly influenced his artistic production. He was wounded and later captured during the Siege of Rome (1849), and after his release, resumed painting with renewed conviction, turning his art into a visual chronicle of national unity and sacrifice. His paintings from this period, such as La partenza del garibaldino (The Departure of the Garibaldian) and Il ritorno del reduce (The Veteran’s Return), combine a sense of patriotic fervor with tender human sentiment. They were widely acclaimed and became iconic representations of the Italian patriotic spirit. Induno’s work bridges Romanticism and early Realism. His palette is rich and warm, his brushwork expressive yet precise, and his compositions are infused with moral and emotional depth. While many of his paintings depict military subjects—soldiers, volunteers, and homecomings—he also excelled in genre scenes and domestic interiors, often portraying moments of affection, melancholy, or social observation. His ability to convey psychological nuance through gesture and light places him among the finest Italian narrative painters of his time. Gerolamo Induno received numerous awards at national and international exhibitions, including at the Esposizione Nazionale di Torino and the Paris Exposition Universelle. His works were collected both in Italy and abroad, admired for their patriotic tone and technical mastery. Today, his paintings can be found in major institutions such as: Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Milan Museo del Risorgimento, Milan Museo Civico, Turin Museo di Capodimonte, Naples See less