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The Last Meeting between Jacopo Foscari and his Family Before Being Sent into Exile by Francesco Hayez
The Death of Abradates by Francesco Hayez
Pope Urban II preaching the first crusade in the square of Clermont by Francesco Hayez
Valenza Gradenigo before the Inquisition by Francesco Hayez
Mary Magdalene as a hermit by Francesco Hayez
The Sicilian vespers by Francesco Hayez
The two Foscari by Francesco Hayez
Marie Stuart - Francesco Hayez - Louvre RF 2012-23 by Francesco Hayez
The Sicilian Vespers (Version I) by Francesco Hayez
Ulysses at the court of Alcinous by Francesco Hayez
Rinaldo and Armida by Francesco Hayez
Portrait of the countess Antonietta Negroni Prati Morosini by Francesco Hayez

Where to See Francesco Hayez

13 museums worldwide

About Francesco Hayez

Italian · 1791–1881

painting The Kiss as a coded message of Italian unification, disguised as medieval romance and later immortalised on chocolate boxes

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Portrait of Francesco Hayez
Museums13
Countries6
Most worksPinacoteca di Brera, Palazzo Brera · 19 works
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Where to see Francesco Hayez

Ranked by works you can see in person.

Francesco Hayez prints

Hand-finished archival prints from Francesco Hayez's body of work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Where can I see Francesco Hayez's work?
    Francesco Hayez's paintings can be found in numerous museum collections. In Milan, his works are held at the Banca Commerciale Italiana and the Civica Galleria d’Arte Moderna. Other Italian museums that hold works by Hayez include the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnica, the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna (Rome), the Museo Civico (Turin), the Museo Civico Borgogna (Vercelli), the G. Trento (Trento), and the Museo Civico (Treviso). The Museo d’Arte Moderna in Venice also has pieces by Hayez. Outside Italy, it may be more difficult to view his work. However, this list is not exhaustive, and more of his paintings may be on display in other galleries not referenced.
  • What should I know about Francesco Hayez's prints?
    Information about Francesco Hayez's prints is scarce. However, prints were sometimes commissioned to raise money for artists' families or to catalogue collections. For example, prints were pulled from the plates of the Galleria in editions of no more than 200 copies. These were sold to raise money to invest in Monti Camerali, and the proceeds were for the poorest members of the artist's Genoese family. This was meant to compensate for money spent on the Galleria and statues. The prints were collected together, seemingly by accident. Living together in Palazzo Giustiniani, artists produced prints in an intense and systematic way. The Galleria may have been conceived as a vast, illustrated catalogue, with almost every plate bearing the Giustiniani stemma as a mark of ownership. Works in the collection were mounted on wooden plinths emblazoned in the same way.
  • Why are Francesco Hayez's works important today?
    Francesco Hayez (1791-1882) was a leading figure in Italian Romanticism. He is remembered for his history paintings, political allegories, and portraits. Hayez's art is important for several reasons. He promoted patriotic sentiments. His paintings often carry coded messages about Italian unification. One of his most famous works, *The Kiss* (1859), is an example of this. It is a symbol of Italian nationalism; the colours in the painting represent the allied French. Hayez's style is also significant. He combined Romantic themes with academic techniques. He was skilled at depicting human emotion and drama. His portraits captured the likenesses of many important figures of his time. He was a professor at the Brera Academy in Milan. He influenced generations of artists through his teaching. His work provides insights into the cultural and political climate of 19th-century Italy. He explored themes of love, betrayal, and national identity. These themes still resonate with audiences today.
  • Who is Francesco Hayez?
    Francesco Hayez was an Italian painter born in Venice in 1791. He settled in Milan in 1820 and became a leading figure of Italian Romanticism, using historical paintings to comment on the Risorgimento.
  • What techniques or materials did Francesco Hayez use?
    Francesco Hayez (1791-1882) was an Italian painter known for his large historical compositions, portraits, and allegorical works. He employed traditional oil painting techniques, often on a grand scale, fitting for the Romantic and academic styles he favoured. Hayez's training at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, and later in Rome, instilled in him a mastery of drawing and composition. His early works show a careful attention to anatomical accuracy and classical forms, skills he honed through the study of antique sculpture and Renaissance masters. He prepared studies and sketches before commencing on a final canvas. He built up layers of paint to achieve a smooth finish and realistic depiction of textures. His colour palette is characterised by strong contrasts and a theatrical use of light and shadow, elements that contribute to the drama of his historical scenes. Hayez's portraits demonstrate his ability to capture the likeness and personality of his sitters through subtle brushwork and careful observation. He sometimes incorporated symbolic objects and settings to convey additional meaning.
  • Who did Francesco Hayez influence?
    Francesco Hayez (1791-1882) was a prominent Italian painter. He is best known for his Romantic historical paintings and portraits. It is difficult to identify specific artists directly influenced by Hayez, but his impact on Italian art, particularly in the 19th century, is clear. Hayez's emphasis on patriotic themes and his development of a Romantic style affected many artists who followed him. His work helped to shape the visual culture of the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification. His paintings often carried political messages, subtly encouraging Italian nationalism. This approach was adopted by other artists who wished to express similar sentiments through their art. Hayez's focus on history painting and portraiture also had an effect. Many subsequent Italian artists continued to explore these genres, building on the foundations he had established. While not directly influencing specific artists in a teacher-student relationship, Hayez's artistic choices and subject matter resonated with later generations of Italian painters, especially those interested in historical and patriotic narratives.
  • Who influenced Francesco Hayez?
    Francesco Hayez (1791-1882) was an Italian painter. He is best known for his large history paintings, political allegories, and portraits. Hayez's early artistic education began in Venice with Francesco Maggiotto. He then studied with Teodoro Matteini. He moved to Rome and studied at the Accademia di San Luca in 1809. Here, he became a student of Neoclassical artist Antonio Canova. Canova's emphasis on classical forms and idealised beauty had a considerable effect on Hayez's artistic development. Hayez also studied with painter Pelagio Palagi. Palagi's influence is evident in Hayez's attention to detail and his use of colour. These influences helped Hayez to develop his own style, one that combined Neoclassical elements with Romantic themes. He became a leading figure in the Romantic movement in Italian art. His work often explored themes of Italian nationalism and patriotism, reflecting the political climate of the time.
  • What is Francesco Hayez's most famous work?
    Francesco Hayez is known for history paintings with Romantic themes, often presented as dramatic stagelike compositions. One of his well-known works is *The Last Kiss of Romeo and Juliet*, painted in 1823. Another important painting by Hayez, completed in 1831, is *The Refugees of Parga*. It is viewed as a didactic history painting expressing patriotic feelings through the depiction of displacement and exile. Hayez also painted *Meditation on the History of Italy*. Completed in 1850, it was previously known as *Meditation on the Old and New Testaments*. The painting features a woman with a bare breast holding a cross in one hand and a book titled "History of Italy" in the other. The artwork raises questions about the relationship between truth, faith, knowledge, religion, and science in 19th-century Italy. The figure is often interpreted as an allegory of Italy itself.

Sources

Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Francesco Hayez's works across the following collections.

  1. [1] museum Gallerie d'Italia – Milano Used for: museum holdings.
  2. [2] museum Galleria d'arte moderna di Milano Used for: museum holdings.
  3. [3] museum Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Roma Used for: museum holdings.
  4. [4] book Neoclassicism and romanticism : architecture, sculpture, painting, drawings, 1750-1848 Used for: biography.
  5. [5] book Post-impressionism : cross-currents in European painting Used for: biography.
  6. [6] book Post-impressionism : cross-currents in European painting Used for: biography.

Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-02. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.

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