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A life shaped by Milanese streets

Domenico Induno began his days far from the canvas, working as an apprentice to a goldsmith and medalist named Luigi Cossa. This early training in fine detail stayed with him long after he entered the Brera Academy in 1831. He moved through the halls of the academy under the eyes of Pompeo Marchesi, Luigi Sabatelli, and Francesco Hayez. The influence of Hayez was particularly heavy, guiding his hand toward religious and historical subjects in those early years.

The year 1848 brought a change to his rhythm. Alongside his brother Gerolamo, he left the studio for the barricades during the Five Days of Milan. This period of street fighting and political upheaval led to a time of exile in Ticino, Switzerland. He stayed in Astano with Angelo Trezzini, where he eventually married Emilia Trezzini. When it became safe to return, he settled briefly in Florence before finding his way back to the familiar atmosphere of Milan.

The shift toward the everyday

As time passed, the grand historical narratives gave way to something more intimate. He turned his attention to the people he saw in the streets and homes of Lombardy. His brush began to capture the textures of working-class life, focusing on the quiet, often difficult moments of the common folk. These genre scenes were not meant for grand halls but spoke to the daily realities of Milanese society.

His work often carried a heavy weight of sentiment. In pieces like Pane e lagrime, one sees the starkness of poverty through a mother and child in a cold, stone-walled room. He had a way of documenting the human cost of the era, particularly during the years of the Risorgimento. His paintings regarding the Armistice of Villafranca earned him recognition from King Victor Emmanuel II, who even commissioned one of his works.

The later years of his life saw a shift in tone. The light in his paintings grew more somber and melancholy. Even as a serious eye ailment began to trouble him, he continued to work, participating in the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris. He remained tied to the Brera Academy, eventually serving as its Director in 1863, until his death in Milan in 1878.