A letter from the front 1864

Gerolamo Induno painted “A Letter from the Front,” a 76 x 101 cm oil on canvas, during a time of significant social and political change in Italy. Induno, who participated in the Italian independence movements, brings the war home in this intimate portrayal of women receiving news from the front. The setting is a domestic interior where the drama unfolds. A woman reads aloud, her face etched with emotion. A mother sits nearby, cradling her child, her expression a mix of hope and fear. Around them, other women listen intently. Induno captures the emotional labor of women during wartime, their anxiety palpable. The letter serves as a powerful symbol of connection, but also of the uncertainty and loss that war brings. Induno avoids romanticizing war, instead focusing on its human cost. It reminds us of the profound impact of conflict on individual lives and the collective experience of those left behind.