Francesco Hayez's Erotic Drawings Reveal a Secret Side of the Romantic Painter

Francesco Hayez, the 19th-century Venetian Romantic painter best known for 'The Kiss,' also produced a series of erotic drawings that function almost as a sex manual. These sketches, fewer than a dozen, depict acts including cunnilingus, fellatio, mutual masturbation, and intercourse. The drawings likely date from the 1820s–1830s, when Hayez had a relationship with Carolina Zucchi, who is believed to be the model. Unlike his grand historical and mythological paintings, these intimate works focus on female pleasure and anatomical detail. All erotic drawings remain in private collections; four were auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2009.