Shop art print and framed art The Kiss by Francesco Hayez

The Kiss ((it) Il bacio) is a painting by the Italian painter Francesco Hayez dating from 1859. This oil on canvas depicts a couple exchanging a kiss, in a chiaroscuro composition in the troubadour style. It is kept in Milan at the Pinacoteca di Brera. In its day, this painting became a symbol of Italian Romanticism, and is often interpreted as conveying the spirit of the Risorgimento, the period that led to the unification of Italy. This painting depicts a couple, dressed as in the Middle Ages, exchanging a kiss. The man, wearing a brown cap, and the woman, in a blue dress, are standing at the foot of a staircase. The man has placed his foot on the first step. To the left, there is an opening leading to the lower floor, and a silhouette can be seen descending the staircase against the light. The couple is at the centre of the composition: the man's face is hidden, the woman's a little less so, but it is clear that their lips are touching. This painting was commissioned by Count Alfonso Visconti di Saliceto, a fervent campaigner for Italian unification. It was presented to the Brera Academy of Fine Arts on 9 September 1859, and was subsequently donated to the institution by the Count. There are three other versions of this painting, two of which have been located: the 1861 version differs in that the woman's dress is white; it was commissioned by the Milanese banker Giulio Mylius (1835-1914), and was sold at Sotheby's in 2008. The 1867 version was intended to represent the [...]

 

This artwork is a painting from the classical period. It belongs to the romanticism style.

 

« The Kiss » is kept at Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan, Italy.

 

Find the full description of The Kiss by Francesco Hayez on Wikipedia.