The hidden meaning of the painting
A kiss is the simplest and most romantic of gestures, but behind it can also lie acts of courage and rebellion, as well as political ideals.
Francesco Hayez painted his most famous painting in 1859, but what is its story and meaning?
We are in the 19th century, the age of Romanticism, a movement linked not only to love but also to strong acts of patriotism and nationalism that would lead to the unification of the country in 1861.
Hayez, a patriot and nationalist, wanted to hide a strong political criticism of the Austrian occupation of Lombardy in his painting The Kiss.
Behind what appears to be a romantic and passionate farewell kiss between two lovers, we notice some elements that suggest the painting’s non-romantic nature:
– a dagger sticks out from the young man’s cloak (he could be a patriot ready to fight against the invader)
– the shadow of a figure on the left, who seems to be spying on the scene
Among the political symbols hidden within the work are the colours of the two lovers’ clothes, which refer to the Italian and French flags.
The use of colour is even more accentuated in the third version of the painting, which features the addition of a white cloth on the stairs.
Hayez painted several versions of The Kiss.
The year in which the painting was created, 1859, is no coincidence, as a few months earlier Vittorio Emanuele II and Napoleon III entered Milan to celebrate the success of the Risorgimento struggles.
The painting was commissioned from the artist by Count Alfonso Maria Visconti di Saliceto: and so we have a work that symbolises romantic patriotism.
Source: https://neiade.com/blog/bacio-pinacoteca-brera/
