Gerolamo Induno

Gerolamo Induno (Milan 1827–1890) The Train is Coming, signed and dated Germo Induno 1871, oil on canvas, 109.5 x 93 cm, framed, (W) Gerolamo Induno was a historical, genre and landscape painter. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Brera. He fought during the Risorgimento, his experiences subsequently depicted in numerous military and patriotic scenes leading to his popularity. It was his genre scenes with their amusing subject matter which enjoyed the greatest resonance with his public. As in the work here, Induno displays great virtuosity between careful execution and harmonic interaction between the colours in this lovely scene. The painting will be registered by the Archivio Gerolamo e Domenico Induno - Studio Mansuardi under the archive number 437/G. Provenance: Vienna privat collection

measurements 25 3/4 by 15 in. alternate measurements 65.4 by 38.1 cm DESCRIPTION signed Ger Induno, dated 75, and inscribed Milano (lower right) PROVENANCE Galeria Pisani, Florence Acquired by the present owner's great-great-grandparents ( circa 1900) Thence by descent CATALOGUE NOTE In the tight compositional space of Induno's Baby's Delight , each carefully chosen visual detail speaks of secure social status, domestic comfort, and cultural erudition. Here, a young mother dressed in fine silks sits before a piano, its simple keyboard juxtaposed with its heavily decorated and gilded legs, reflected in the highly polished floor. The mother's hands are poised above the piano's keys as her child is held aloft, rattle in hand, by her more humbly-dressed caretaker. Domenico Cimarosa's score for Il Matrimonio Segreto is propped against the piano's music stand. Cimarora's operatic work was notable for its humor and eccentricity, and Il Matrimonio Segreto was hugely popular in its day, an excellent example of Italy's opera buffa (comic opera). Based on the 1766 English comedy "The Clandestine Marriage" by David Garrick and George Colman and first performed in 1792 (Induno's apparent inscription of 1770 on the score's cover is likely a simple error), Cimarora's opera tells the story of Geronimo, a wealthy Bolognese who hopes to marry his two daughters Elisetta and Carolina to fitting suitors. Little does Geronimo know that Carolina has eloped with his secretary Paolino, and the subsequent discovery creates a series of hilarious episodes. Such mature fare seems advanced for this young listener; indeed, the score's closed cover and the mother's hands gently placed upon the keys suggest that she has chosen to play a sweet refrain from a lullaby instead. No matter the tune played, the status of the family is safely established in the composition. Unlike Induno and his Italian contemporaries' genre scenes of peasant mothers and children at play in kitchens of open fires, humble crockery, and free-roaming chickens, this room's only rusticity appears in the country-village tapestry hung along the wall. Induno uses this elaborate decorative backdrop, combined with the glossy wood-tiled floor, to turn this music room into a performative stage-like space. For the late nineteenth century bourgeoisie, listening to and playing music had become both a recreational pastime and an important educational element, especially for girls. The expanding rate in the construction of concert halls was matched by demand for music rooms within private homes. Such a proliferation of places to enjoy a concert--by Europe's great orchestras or an amateur woman of the house--reflected a shift in music appreciation. No longer mere background ambiance for social events (balls, dinners), music had become an activity to be enjoyed in and of itself (see: Anne Leonard, "Varieties of Attention: A (Mostly) Nineteenth-Century View," in Martha Ward and Anne Leonard, Looking and Listening in Nineteenth Century France, exh. cat., Chicago, 2007, pp. 1; 8-11). For a similar version of the present work titled Gioie materne, dating from 1876 , see: A. M. Comanducci, Dizonario illustrato de Pittori, Disegnatori e Incisori Italiani Moderni e Contemporanei , Milan, 1971, 7th ed., vol. III, p. 1613, illustrated.

oil on canvas provenance private collection, brno, czechoslovakia and boston (by circa 1930s) thence by descent to the present owners exhibited possibly, milan, 1859, as suonatori ambulanti catalogue note born in milan in 1827, girolamo induno followed the footsteps of his older brother, domenico in becoming a painter. a member of the academy of milan where geralamo studied, he specialized in genre scenes and exhibited in turin, naples, milan, rome, venice, and vienna, where he received a medal of honor in 1873. this painting, with its depiction of simple village life incorporating wine, woman, and song, draws on a long tradition of genre painting in italy going back at least to the bamboccianti artists of the mid seventeenth century. the inclusion of a dwarf in the proceedings also recalls an earlier era in italian painting, for example, the dwarf that veronese depicted in his frescos of the gonzaga entourage. the appearance of a dwarf in a rustic setting is particularly unusual. signed description

Gerolamo Induno (Milano 1827-1890) Il ritorno del soldato firmato Gir.Induno olio su tela cm 74,9x94,6 si ringrazia lo Studio Manusardi per la conferma dell'autenticità Special Notice Lot which has been imported to Italy from outside the EU on a temporary importation license. Buyers resident within the EU Hammer price Buyer's net premium (17.5% or 13%) 20% of the buyer's net premium - (VAT) Non refundable Not applicable for VAT registered buyers who are residents in the EU 10% of the hammer price - (VAT) Non refundable The buyer will also so be liable to pay interest on charges on the import tax from the date of importation as well as all expenses concerning the transformation of the temporary importation license into a permanent one. Buyers resident outside the EU: Hammer price Buyer's net premium (17.5% or 13%) 20% of the buyer's net premium - (VAT) Refundable if the exportation of the purchase is documented within 3 months of the sale date. 3% of the hammer price Non refundable 10% of the hammer price - (VAT) Refundable if the exportation of the purchase is documented within 3 months of the sale date.