Painting “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt

Painting Kiss, 1907-1908
Painting Kiss, 1907-1908

The painting “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt is an image of a sensual moment symbolizing the unity of lovers

The Kiss is the most famous painting by the famous Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. The work depicts a couple in love at the edge of a flower meadow above a cliff. The man kisses the woman on the cheek, his hands gently support her face. The kiss in the picture is a symbol of the unity of the heroes, masculine and feminine principles.

Title of the painting: “The Kiss” (German Der Kuss).
Author: Gustav Klimt (1862-1918).
Year of writing: 1907-1908
Size: 180 x 180 cm.
Style: Symbolism. Modern.
Genre: Portrait.
Technique: Oil painting.
Material: Canvas.
Location: Gallery Belvedere, Vienna, Austria.

Gustav Klimt is an artist of the XIX-XX centuries, a well-known representative of Viennese Art Nouveau.

He gained fame as a scandalous painter, because he often depicted nude female nature in his works. Many of the master’s paintings aroused great interest among critics and were carefully studied by art critics. “The Kiss” was written in the “golden” period of creativity of Gustav Klimt. At this time, a distinctive feature of his works was the abundance of golden hues.

The opinions of art critics about the picture are rather contradictory. Some believe that the heroes merge in erotic ecstasy. Others believe that two relatives are depicted here. There is closeness and trust between them, not passion at all. Perhaps the painting depicts Gustav Klimt himself and Emilia Flege – a girl with whom the artist had a long and complicated relationship. There is another version of the creation of the work, more a legend than a true story.

Rumor has it that once the count ordered a painting from the painter, where he will be captured at the moment of a kiss with his beloved. Gustav Klimt received a medallion with a portrait of the future heroine of the work.

As a result, the artist was so fascinated by the girl’s appearance that he himself fell in love with her. Therefore, the kiss in the picture turned out to be innocent, and not passionate: the master was jealous of the woman for the count. The work became so popular that many other works were created based on its motives. One of the latest is the sculptural reproduction of The Kiss, presented in 2016 at the annual Fallas in Valencia.

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