The recruit and the Ciociarella 1870

Gerolamo Induno created this oil painting, "The Recruit and the Ciociarella," during a turbulent period of Italian history. Looking at the image, we see a young recruit sharing a tender moment with a Ciociarella, a woman from the rural region of Ciociaria. The woman's traditional dress marks her as belonging to a specific social class and geographical area. The recruit is on his way to war, likely one of the conflicts that marked the Risorgimento, the unification of Italy. The painting was made in a time when institutions of art, like the Brera Academy, promoted the idea of art as a tool to promote civic values. Induno used the scene to comment on the impact of political events on everyday people. To gain a better understanding of this painting, it’s important to research the social, economic, and political contexts of 19th-century Italy. By exploring these resources, we can better appreciate the ways in which the art of the past speaks to the present.