Ballerina Carlotta Chabert as Venus - Francesco Hayez
Archival giclée
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Description
A 1830 oil painting by Francesco Hayez depicting ballerina Carlotta Chabert as the goddess Venus, rendered with classical precision and soft, naturalistic lighting.
Francesco Hayez, a leading figure in nineteenth-century Italian painting, produced this work in 1830. It depicts the ballerina Carlotta Chabert in the guise of Venus. The composition draws upon classical iconography, placing the figure in a serene, outdoor setting beside a stone plinth and a large decorative urn. The subject stands with her back to the viewer, her posture echoing the classical contrapposto stance often found in antique sculpture. A thin red thread connects her hand to a white dove, a symbolic reference to the goddess of love. Hayez demonstrates his technical precision through the rendering of the figure, particularly the soft transitions of light and shadow across the skin. The drapery, a stark white fabric, provides a sharp contrast to the darker, atmospheric background. The artist balances the mythological subject with the specific features of the sitter, creating a blend of idealised beauty and individual portraiture. This approach was characteristic of his work, which often bridged the gap between historical narrative and contemporary observation. As a master of the Italian Romantic style, Hayez moved away from the rigid constraints of Neoclassicism, favouring a more emotive and naturalistic treatment of his subjects. The painting reflects the period's fascination with classical themes, yet it remains grounded in the theatricality of the stage. The muted palette, dominated by earthy tones and the cool white of the fabric, directs the viewer's attention to the central figure. The work is currently held in the collection of the Museo Civico in Vicenza, where it remains an example of the artist's ability to synthesise classical tradition with the sensibilities of his own time.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. EU customers have a 14-day cooling-off right. See our refunds page for full details.
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Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Ballerina Carlotta Chabert as Venus - Francesco Hayez
Our Features
Designed for Lasting Impact
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Choose poster, framed print, canvas or framed canvas
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
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Artist Biography
Francesco Hayez
Hayez was born in Venice in 1791, the youngest of five sons. His father was a fisherman of French origin; his mother came from Murano. The family was poor enough that the boy was placed with an uncle, the antiquarian Giovanni Binasco, who hoped to train him as a restorer. Instead, Hayez won a scholarship to the Accademia di San Luca in Rome in 1809, where he spent long hours studying Raphael in the Vatican Stanze and visiting the workshop of the sculptor Antonio Canova.
He settled in Milan in 1820 and became the leading figure of Italian Romanticism. His large historical paintings, depicting subjects from medieval Italian history, functioned as allegorical commentary on the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification. The use of historical costume allowed him to evade Austrian censorship while communicating patriotic ideas that his Milanese audience decoded without difficulty.
In 1850 he became director of the Brera Academy, a position he held for decades. He rarely signed or dated his works, and often painted the same composition multiple times with minimal variation, which has complicated scholarly assessment. He died in Milan in 1882, at ninety, having witnessed the unification he had painted.
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