Hayez, Francesco

Francesco Hayez (Venice, 10 February 1791 - Milan, 21 December 1882) was an Italian painter and the leading figure of historical Romanticism in Italy. He is especially famous for The Kiss, a painting that became a symbolic image of Italian Romantic culture. Many of his works conceal political meanings beneath historical or medieval settings, allowing contemporary patriotic messages to be expressed indirectly. In this way, Hayez transformed painting into both an artistic and civic language.