Hayez's kiss

Artist	Francesco Hayez
Title	The kiss
Year	1859
Technique	Oil on canvas
Current location	Pinacoteca Brera (Brera Gallery), Milan, Italy

Francesco Hayez (1791-1882) painted mainly historical subjects and portraits. He was clearly an exponent of the Romantic movement.

Hayez's best known work, The kiss, was intended to celebrate the victories of the Second War of Independence in 1859. It has always been popular as a patriotic symbol.

The painting depicts a Risorgimento patriot, saying goodbye to his wife before going to war. The painting is anachronistic: The couple is wearing 14th century clothes, but the subject is the Risorgimento, the 19th century unification of Italy.

The kiss is on permanent display in the Pinacoteca Brera (Brera Gallery) in Milan (where it is called Il bacio).

Technorati tags: Francesco Hayez Kiss  Bacio Pinacoteca Brera