Gerolamo Induno studied at the Brera Academy in Milan from 1839 to 1846 and took part in the Cinque Giornate uprising in 1848. The ensuing Austrian repression caused him to take refuge with his brother and fellow painter Domenico at Astano in Switzerland and then in Florence. Having enlisted as a volunteer in the legion of General Medici, he took part in the defence of the Roman Republic, producing numerous studies and paintings at the same time. His return to Milan saw the resumption of artistic activities with a series of genre scenes. He then served with the Piedmontese detachment in the Crimea in 1855 before enlisting once again as a volunteer in Garibaldi’s brigade of Alpine chasseurs in 1859, which provided material for numerous works inspired by the epic events of the struggle for Italian independence and unification known as the Risorgimento. The 1870s saw a series of genre scenes in 18th-century settings that proved a great success with art dealers and collectors. The artist also took part in the major events at the national and international level, including the exhibitions of 1873 in Vienna and 1878 in Paris.