Artist: Gustav Klimt
Created: 1907–1908
Dimensions (cm): 180 x 180
Format: Oil and gold leaf on canvas
Location: Österreichische Galerie Belvedere
The Kiss represents the apex of Klimt’s "Golden Period", during which he incorporated golden leaves into his works. It reflects the influence of the religious art of the Middle Ages and the works created by artists of the Byzantine Empire, but it is also a link to Klimt’s own past, as both his father and younger brother worked with metal.
Once perceived as pornographic, the painting portrays two figures draped in densely patterned cloths in a moment of intense sensual pleasure.
The male force is signified by the powerful coat of black and grey blocks, softened by the feminine, organic scrolling. In comparison, female energy is shown as spinning circles of bright floral motifs and upward-flowing wavy lines.
