Birth in
Pollone, he was the third son of Agostino Delleani, a member of the Royal Corps of Civil Engineering, and his wife, Maddalena née Billotti. Encouraged by an uncle who noticed his artistic talent, he enrolled at the
Accademia Albertina in Turin. His primary instructors there were
Enrico Gamba and
Carlo Arienti. Initially, he worked in the field of history painting, which brought him some official recognition. In 1874, he exhibited at the
Salon in Paris. He had a showing there again in 1878, featuring his work "Regattas in Venice". From the beginning of the 1880s, he gradually abandoned academic
Romanticism, modernizing his means of expression and range of subjects with a new focus on landscapes and painting from life. In 1883, he went to the
Netherlands, to study the paintings of the
Dutch Golden Age, which inspired him to brighten his color palette. Later, he focused exclusively on painting
en plein aire, capturing light in thick strokes of color. His favorite subjects were views of the
Piedmontese and
Lombard countrysides, in changing conditions of light and season. He also painted some genre scenes, depicting devotional pilgrimages to mountain shrines, such as "Pilgrimage to Oropa", now on display in
Asti. In 1899, he participated in the in Venice, accompanied by his pupil and patron, Countess . In 1905, he presented forty works at the
Venice Biennale and, later that same year, participated in the Ninth International Art Exhibition in
Munich. These events helped to secure his international reputation. His best known students included
Giuseppe Bozzalla and
Giuseppe Buscaglione. He also gave some lessons to his younger brother, Celestino Delleani (1850-1873), who died of
tuberculosis at a spa in
Nervi. The city of Turin has named a street after him in the district. There are also streets bearing his name in
Biella,
Chieri, and
Santena. ==Selected paintings==