Painting the Middle Ages to talk about his own century
Francesco Hayez paints Il Bacio (The Kiss) in 1859, in an Italy still divided into several states under foreign influence or rule, in the middle of a period of repression of nationalist movements by the Austrian occupier in Lombardy. Showing ideas of Italian unity or independence directly amounted to a punishable provocation at the time; Hayez therefore chooses to wrap them in a costumed scene, a couple kissing in medieval dress, in the corner of a stone staircase.
1. A farewell kiss, not a declaration
The young man has one foot resting on the first step, ready to leave, one leg already turned toward the exit — this is not a kiss of reunion but a farewell, that of a man about to join a fight. In the shadows of the staircase, on the left, a hooded figure watches the scene, and it is unclear whether he is an ally or a threat. The colours Hayez chooses — the green of the dress, the white of the lining, the red of the hose — quietly echo those of the Italian flag, a tricolour then banned in the states under Austrian control.
This patriotic reading has never been confirmed by any writing from Hayez himself explaining his exact intention, but it took hold very early in the painting's reception and remains the interpretation favoured by the museum today.
2. Three kisses, not one
Hayez paints two further versions of the same subject after the one in Brera: one in 1861 for the Mylius family, in which the young woman's dress becomes white rather than blue, and a third in 1867, with a veil added on the staircase, which the painter kept with him until his death — a sign that this was probably the version he remained most attached to. Only the 1859 version, the first and best known, is at the Pinacoteca di Brera.
How much time
A single painting, but look for the three details that change everything: the foot already turned toward the exit, the figure in the shadows, and the flag colours hidden in the clothing.
- Il Bacio — 10 minutes.
Sources and verification
Checked against the official notices of the Pinacoteca di Brera (pinacotecabrera.org) and cross-checked with Wikipedia EN/FR.
- Pinacoteca di Brera — The Kiss, Francesco Hayez
- Wikipedia EN — The Kiss (Hayez)
- Art+Plus — Hayez's Kiss, one of the symbols of the Italian Risorgimento
Displays and room openings can change. Check the Pinacoteca di Brera website on the day of your visit before following a route.
Listen to the commentary in the gallery
This route gives you a thread to follow. In front of an artwork, CulturAll adds the audio commentary: photograph the work or its label, listen, then ask your questions.
