The "L'addio del volontario" or commonly known as "The farewell of the volunteer" was painted by Vincenzo Cabianca during a turbulent period in Italy. The work reflects the fervent patriotic spirit of the Risorgimento. Uniquely, the painting depicts the poignant and heavy hearted calm before the storm. The painter depicts the burdensome everyday sacrifices made by the citizens who volunteer to fight for the unification of Italy.
The romantic artwork made in 1858 is an oil painting done on canvas. The painting portrays an intimate setting inside a dark and shabby house. A young man in uniform with a backpack, hat and weapons on his left hip is embracing a young woman, presumably his wife and extends his hand to an old man, his father. The shabby interior shows everyday objects like a pipe and a blanket. A cat watches the dramatic scene. Brown and red tones are highlighted in the young volunteer's collar and cuffs. The light used theatrically accentuates the drama, illuminating their faces. The painting inspired director Matteo Garrone for his film "Pinocchio". He was fascinated by it's chromatic simplicity.
This piece shows a transition phase of the pictorial language of Cabianca. While the canvas follows his previous trends of an intimate sentimental tone, it already exhibits the role of light and colour of the signature Macchiaoli style. Cabianca, during the 1850s moved towards the genre of realism as influenced by the Macchiaoli technique and became principally devoted to the effects of sunlight.
Vincenzo Cabianca’s L’addio del volontario (1858) captures the quiet emotional cost of patriotism during the Italian Risorgimento. Rather than glorifying war, the painting focuses on an intimate domestic farewell as a young volunteer prepares to leave his family for the First Italian War of Independence. The dim interior, dramatic use of light, and restrained colour palette emphasize the sorrow, uncertainty, and sacrifice shared by both the departing soldier and those left behind. By presenting a patriotic event through ordinary human emotions instead of battlefield heroics, Cabianca reminds viewers that history is shaped not only by public victories but also by deeply personal moments of love, duty, and loss.
