Francesco Hayez

Francesco Hayez (1791–1882) was an Italian Romantic painter known for historical compositions, portraits, and The Kiss, a celebrated image of Italian national feeling.

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The Kiss (Hayez): A painting by Hayez, first exhibited in 1859, showing a couple embracing in medieval dress. Its tender farewell became Hayez’s most famous image and a symbol of Italian unification.
Venice: A city in northeastern Italy whose artistic institutions and traditions shaped Hayez’s early career. Hayez was born there and began his artistic training in its cultural orbit.
Alessandro Manzoni: An Italian novelist and poet, best known for the historical novel The Betrothed. Hayez painted Manzoni’s celebrated portrait, joining two leading figures of Italian culture.
Risorgimento: The nineteenth-century political movement that led to the unification of Italy in 1861 and its completion in 1870. Hayez’s medieval and historical subjects were read through the era’s struggle for national unity.
The Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem: A large historical painting by Hayez depicting the Roman destruction of Jerusalem’s Second Temple. The dramatic composition shows his command of monumental historical subjects.
Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia: An art academy in Venice that trained artists in drawing, painting, and established academic practice. Hayez studied there before continuing his education in Rome.
Giuseppe Verdi: An Italian composer whose operas became closely associated with the Risorgimento and Italian national identity. Verdi and Hayez helped shape the cultural imagination of nineteenth-century Italy in different arts.
Italian unification: The political process that united most Italian states under the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. The Kiss acquired patriotic associations as audiences connected its departure scene with the national cause.
The Refugees of Parga: A painting by Hayez depicting Greek refugees leaving Parga after its sale to the Ottoman Empire in 1819. Its contemporary political subject brought Romantic historical painting into the present.
Rome: Italy’s capital, whose ancient art and artistic institutions attracted generations of painters. Hayez’s years in Rome connected his training with classical models and contemporary artists.