"Il Bacio" ... a romantic goodbye.

In 1859, an important exhibition was installed at the Brera Fine Arts Academy to celebrate freedom, because Milan and the surrounding region of Lombardy had at last won independence from the Austrian occupation forces. This was just three months from the entrance into the city of Vittorio Emanuele II, future king of Italy, and emperor Napoleon III, who had joined forces to win the Second War of Independence. At the exhibition, Francesco Hayez exhibited a small painting called “The Kiss,” in the midst of other much larger canvases depicting battles from the struggle. “The Kiss” went on to become one of the best-loved paintings of all time, reproduced in a vast array of print media. Today, the painting has been chosen by the Brera Art Gallery as the emblematic image for another exhibition celebrating the 150th anniversary of Italian unity. The artist actually went on to paint the same composition several times, but he was never able to recapture the magic of the first version. It is often considered as expressing the ideals of the struggle for unity, depicting – according to many commentators – the volunteer soldier’s last goodbye to the girl he loves. In actual fact, Hayez subtitled the composition “Episode of youth,” alluding to the birth of the new nation that would prosper by virtue of the young generations who had fought for freedom with such generosity. 

Pinacoteca di Brera, Via Brera 28 • M2 Lanza, M1/3 Duomo

Open Tues-Sun 8.30-19.15, Mon closed. €8.50-11.00

Until 25 September.