Vespasiano Bignami (1841-1929) - Soldati austroungarici in ospedale - Terza Guerra italiana di indipendenza

Vespasiano Bignami (1841-1929) was a very famous exponent of the Milanese Scapigliatura, a painter, poet and finally a teacher at the Brera Academy.
He also painted for some Scapigliatura magazines, including the very famous Il Pungolo.
This watercolour (in oil? Bignami boasted in his black and white drawings of using oil) in particular was intended for the Almanacco del Pungolo (an annual that came out at Christmas), as can be seen from the handwritten notes, which read: (from top left and clockwise) "1/2 page of the Almanac", "1/2", "urgent", "3a BIGNAMI 018". The scene depicts soldiers of Austria-Hungary in hospital and can be dated precisely, based on the uniforms and weapons, to 1866 (third war of independence, entry of the Veneto into Italy), as Bignami did not portray subjects from the past.
As you can see, in the upper left corner, there is a pencil sketch of a handshake.
The sheet of drawing paper had been tacked (you can see traces of the hole), then some owner attached it with two small pieces of paper glue, on the back, to a cream-colored cardboard frame, as shown in the photo.