'The kiss' by Francesco Hayez, the painting that triumphs among lovers
There are works that stand out above the rest, that give off a special magnetism and that completely trap us, creating a connection between the piece and the person who observes it. It could be said that it is a full blown crush . It's what happens with 'The kiss. Youth episode. 14th century costumes' (in Italian Il bacio. Giovinezza episode. Costume of the secolo XIV ), the oil on canvas painted by the Venetian artist Francesco Hayes and preserved in the Brera Pinacoteca in Milan.
under the hashtag #ilbacio , #ilbaciodihayez, #hayezkiss or #hayez, tens of thousands of publications related to this work that inspires the best of photography are collected. Up to her they approached in love to immortalize the renowned painting with camera in hand, recreating the scene of the two lovers. Now, with the Brera Pinacoteca closed due to the health crisis, the reproductions of 'El beso' are moved to homes.
POLITICAL WORK AND SYMBOL OF ROMANTICISM AND UNIVERSAL LOVE
Commonly known as 'The kiss' , this picture was painted in 1859 by the Italian artist Francesco Hayes that he was appointed director of the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in 1850. Hence, his work was presented for the first time at the Annual Exhibition of the Brera Academy and has been linked to the city until today.
Considered one of the most important works of the 19th century, it not only represents the Romanticism so prevalent in Europe at that time, but also has a political background that turns the painting into an even more appreciated artistic proposal. “For the Pinacoteca, the work of Francesco Hayez, in addition to being an important political work and one of the symbols of Romanticism, it is also a representation of universal love ”, tells Traveler.es Valeria Mileti Nardo of the communication department of the Pinacoteca.
“The image represents, in some realistic way, a young man and a young woman giving themselves in a passionate embrace, while kissing on the lips. The scene, characterized within the stage and medieval costumes, alludes to a patriotic volunteer's farewell to his beloved (...) The kiss becomes an allegory of the present and an expression of political ideals markedly from the Risorgimento: civil commitment and love for the country”, they describe from the Brera Art Gallery itself.
'The kiss' by Francesco Hayez, the painting that triumphs among lovers
It should be remembered that the Risorgimento It was the historical process that led to the Italian unification throughout the 19th century, where previously Italy was divided into states linked to 'non-Italian' dynasties such as the Habsburgs. The date of creation of the painting coincides with the Second War of Independence in which Victor Emmanuel II (last king of the Kingdom of Sardinia and first king of Italy) with the help of Napoleon's troops , got between 1859 and 1861 the liberation of Lombardy-Veneto, fact that supposed the future opening of the unification of Italy.
The colors of the painting are clear with the patriotic message that the author wants to convey: the red stockings and the green lapel of the cape, combined with the blue and white tunic, evoke the flags of Italy and France . Therefore, in addition to being a work that has transcended throughout the last centuries as a key piece of the romantic style, it was also at that time a symbol of political alliance and love for one's own country.
Such was the popular success of the work that it was reproduced on several occasions by its own creator. The original is the one that is currently in Milan and was donated by Count Alfonso Maria Visconti de Saliceto to the Brera Pinacoteca in 1886..
THE PICTURE OF THE LOVERS
Despite its political background, which has moved hundreds of people for years to go to the room 38 of this art gallery to recreate the piece , is the passion and sentimentality that the work gives off in abundance. “Some paintings are more likely than others to be imitated and photographed by visitors (just think of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre). This is a very positive trend because it means that the public, sometimes even unconsciously, identifies or gives a particular emotional and personal value to works of art ”, they indicate from the Pinacoteca.
Francesco Tomaselli and Viola Tamanini They are two young Italians in love (22 and 18 years old respectively) whose photograph in this painting has gone viral. Almost 60,000 people have 'liked' the publication that Francesco uploaded to his Instagram profile last August 2019 . The original is from a year before, when the couple made their first trip together and this wonderful snapshot came out of it.
“It was the summer of 2018 and we were in Milan for our first trip together. . Despite the heat, we managed to visit most of the city and one of the stops was the Pinacoteca di Brera. After appreciating each room, we come to the last one, where Hayez's 'The Kiss' . Seeing the painting, we immediately thought it would be nice to have one as a souvenir,” Francesco and Viola tell Traveler.es.
They were unaware that an entire artistic movement around the work and yet they immediately felt that they had to take the picture right then and there: “We waited in the last room for almost an hour until the right moment to shoot came. We were about to give up when the room finally cleared, we grabbed a chair to use as an easel trying not to let the guard see us, lowered the camera and set the timer. We ran in front of the painting to kiss, leaving quickly as the art gallery was about to close. Once we got out, we checked the only photo we had taken and it was unbelievably perfect!”.
For both Francesco and Viola, the snapshot will always have a special meaning because it will remind them of their first adventure together . “It was one of those experiences that we will never forget. Almost a year and a half after the photo's success, we still can't believe how many people have seen and appreciated the shot. It's really fascinating to be inspired by your work . We hope to continue our journey always together”, they say excitedly.
But it is not an initiative that occurs only in social networks, the Pinacoteca itself is aware of the success of one of its most valued paintings and does not hesitate to promote its dissemination . Annually it organizes initiatives for each Valentine's Day with this iconic painting as its theme. “This year, two artists have portrayed couples of all ages with the canvas behind them, giving them, at the end of the portrait, custom printing painting ”, indicates Valeria Mileti Nardo from the Brera Art Gallery.
THE OTHER KISSES OF ART
This painting by Hayez is not the only work that represents a kiss that has caused a great impact on our lives. To this have been added over the last centuries, pieces that inspire us to imitate from the most romantic to the most revolutionary of encounters . Some of the most notable examples are:
The kiss, sculpture by Auguste Rodin created from 1881 depicting Paolo and Francesca, two characters from Dante Alighieri's work, The Divine Comedy . We can find one of the sculptures produced by the French artist in the Rodin Museum in Paris. (77 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, France)
The kiss of the Austrian painter by Gustav Klimt , made between 1907-1908 and located in the Belvedere Gallery in Vienna. (Prinz Eugen-Straße 27, 1030, Vienna)
- The street of colors is a project promoted by the photographer Alfonso Calza , which proposed in 2017 to install color in one of the streets of the Carmen neighborhood in Valencia, recreating his photographs in a mural with the collaboration of different artists who are experts in street art. Specifically, there was an illustration of a kiss that stood out from the rest and that people did not hesitate to recreate under the hashtag #kissmevlc . (Carrer de Moret, Valencia)
- The Kiss of the Berlin Wall , is probably one of the most recurrent photographs in the visit to the capital of Germany. A souvenir that you do not hesitate to take home in graphic format and that is located in the Eastside Gallery , the world's largest open-air art gallery it has more than 1300 meters of what was saved from the wall . The mural depicting the kiss between the communist leaders Erich Honecker of East Germany and Leonidas Brezhnev of the Soviet Union , is the gallery's best-known work. It is forbidden to leave the city without the required photograph in front of her! (Mühlenstraße 3-100, Berlin).