The Winning Bet

"The Winning Bet" by Domenico Induno (1815-1878), a pupil of Francesco Hayez, metaphorically depicts a Risorgimento theme: a woman with a happy face, tired from a difficult journey, leans out from a rocky outcrop waving a handkerchief in victory, while a bright sky lights up her elegant figure. Induno highlights in the background of the composition, with a ray of light that crowns the achievement, projecting the dimension of a simple anecdote into a more complex emotional climate, an underlying metaphor for the ideals of the Risorgimento.