Dwyer, Chris (February 27, 2018). "Gustav Klimt and his enduring 'Kiss' ". CNN Style. Atlanta, Georgia: Turner Broadcasting Systems . Retrieved March 21, 2018. Apollo and Daphne (1470-1480) by Piero del Pollaiolo; Piero del Pollaiolo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons In the 2004 anime Elfen Lied, the OP Lilium features many allusions to this painting and others of similar nature. [19]

In February 2013 Syrian artist Tammam Azzam superimposed an image of the painting onto a bombed building in an unidentified part of Syria, in a work called Freedom Graffiti, to call attention to the plight of war in his country. [17] It is thought that Klimt and his companion Emilie Flöge modeled for the work, [8] but there is no evidence or record to prove this. Others suggest the female was the model known as 'Red Hilda'; she bears strong resemblance to the model in his Woman with feather boa, Goldfish and Danaë. [9] Description [ edit ] The Kiss, Francesco Hayez, 1859 Having successfully established his name with these high-profile commissions, Klimt became one of the most in-demand portraitists in Vienna. But around the mid 1890s, Klimt had what Belvedere curator Dr Franz Smola calls a “sudden creative crisis”. He changed his style completely, to become the artist that we recognise today. He became the first president of the avant garde Vienna secession movement, which was officially founded in 1897 by a group of artists, designers and architects who rejected the official Vienna Academy of Arts and the restraints of academic art. Their mantra was: “To every age its art and to art its freedom.” They celebrated natural forms and sought a totally immersive artwork, overlapping significantly with the art nouveau movement.

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt is one of the most recognised and reproduced paintings in the world. Painted in Vienna in 1908, the evocative image of an unknown embracing couple has captivated viewers with its mystery, sensuality and dazzling materials.

The Kiss (in German Der Kuss) is an oil-on-canvas painting with added gold leaf, silver and platinum by the Austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimt. [3] It was painted at some point in 1907 and 1908, during the height of what scholars call his "Golden Period". [4] It was exhibited in 1908 under the title Liebespaar (the lovers) [5] as stated in the catalogue of the exhibition. The painting depicts a couple embracing each other, their bodies entwined in elaborate beautiful robes decorated in a style influenced by the contemporary Art Nouveau style and the organic forms of the earlier Arts and Crafts movement. Not only does this piece represent the apex of Klimt’s Golden Period, but it is also a stunning culmination of many of the artist’s most distinctive stylistic fingerprints. The use of fine lines, vivid colors, and intricate and contrasting patterns make this painting unmistakably Klimt’s. We have covered much of the history and significance of this well-known painting. There are, however, some little-known facts about the piece and the artist that we think are particularly fascinating and add to the rich history of Klimt and his unique style. Even with such a striking ability to gracefully conceive figurative yet dreamy subject matter, Klimt was unsure of his talents' true merit.“I can paint and draw,” he explained. “I believe this myself and a few other people say that they believe this too. But I'm not certainof whether it's true.” Given theeverlastinginfluence and enduring admiration of The Kiss, however, there's little room for doubt. Cavallaro, Dani (2018). Gustav Klimt: A Critical Reappraisal. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p.79. ISBN 9781476631387.Alicia’s other areas of interest in Art History include the process of writing about Art History and how to analyze paintings. Some of her favorite art movements include Impressionism and German Expressionism. She is yet to complete her Masters in Art History (she would like to do this abroad in Europe) having given it some time to first develop more professional experience with the interest to one day lecture it too. Tobias G. Natter, Benedikt Taschen (2017). Gustav Klimt - The Complete Paintings. Taschen. p.552. ISBN 978-3-8365-6661-2.

Anniversary of Gustav Klimt And The Kunstschau 1908 at Belvedere in Vienna". artdaily.cc . Retrieved 2019-11-17. O'Connor, Anne-Marie (2012). The Lady in Gold, The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, ISBN 0-307-26564-1. Other historians have suggested that The Kiss reflects the moment when Orpheus turns to caress his love Eurydice as he loses her forever, from the tale of Eurydice and Orpheus. Many cite the slightly translucent appearance of the woman’s face as evidence for this interpretation.They built the Secession Building as a physical manifestation of their ethos and as an exhibition space, where they held shows several times a year. The most famous of these is the 1902 exhibition dedicated to Beethoven, for which Klimt made his famous Beethoven Frieze. The work is based on Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the Ode to Joy, and uses an image of a man and woman embracing as the culmination of the journey to joy. Alicia has been working for artincontext.com since 2021 as an author and art history expert. She has specialized in painting analysis and is covering most of our painting analysis. Stepping into a world of passion and emotion the powerful and gripping new film KLIMT & THE KISS from director Ali Ray (‘Frida Kahlo’, ‘Mary Cassatt – Painting the Modern Woman’) explores this masterpiece that captures the essence of love and the human experience so well. The film delves into the details of the real gold, decorative designs, symbolism and simmering erotica, and exams the rich tapestry of extraordinary influences behind one of the world’s favourite paintings which is on display at the Belvedere Museum in Vienna, Austria (www.belvedere.at/en/visit). In terms of family life, Klimt had numerous affairs throughout his lifetime, and he is thought to have fathered around 14 children. In 1918, Klimt suffered a stroke leaving him paralyzed and hospitalized. During hospitalization, Klimt contracted pneumonia, and he died on February 6th, 1918.

Love, intimacy, and sexuality are common themes found in Gustav Klimt's works. [ citation needed] The Stoclet Frieze and the Beethoven Frieze are such examples of Klimt's focus on romantic intimacy. Both works are precursors to The Kiss and feature the recurring motif of an embracing couple. Alicia du Plessis is a multidisciplinary writer. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Art History and Classical Civilization, as well as two Honors, namely, in Art History and Education and Development, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. For her main Honors project in Art History, she explored perceptions of the San Bushmen’s identity and the concept of the “Other”. She has also looked at the use of photography in art and how it has been used to portray people’s lives.

The Kiss (in German Liebespaar, Lovers) is an oil painting, with added silver and gold leaf by the Austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimt, and was painted between 1907 and 1908 during the height of Klimt's "Golden Period". The painting depicts a couple embracing one another, their bodies entwined in elaborate robes decorated in a style influenced by the contemporary Art Nouveau style and the organic forms of the earlier Arts and Crafts movement. The painting hangs in the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere museum in the Belvedere palace, Vienna, and is widely considered a masterpiece of the early modern period. It is an icon of the Jugendstil—Viennese Art Nouveau—and is considered Klimt's most popular work.