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| The Kiss, Gustav Klimt |
The Kiss is considered Gustav Klimt’s most famous painting from his Golden Period which was during 1898 to 1908. Each of the paintings he made during that time used gold leaf. Klimt began working on The Kiss in 1907 when he was 45 years old. He didn’t finish the painting until 1908. Many people actually consider this painting much better than the
Mona Lisa because of passion inside the painting and how unique the style is.
Like most of
Gustav Klimt paintings throughout his life, this painting has a close relationship to eroticism and is also very modern because of the use of shapes and colors to show each of the subjects body. The painting shows what love and passion looks like close up since the couple are sitting on a bed. The couple look to be completely intertwined and deep in emotion. Three different shapes show off the different parts of the man and also the woman. The white and black rectangles in the painting show the man in his cape and the woman is in colored circles and flowers. The woman has her eyes closed as their heads start to form one simple connected figure. Their hands are also touching and the woman’s hand is wrapped sweetly and seductively around the man’s neck. With her eyes closed she is really showing that she is giving into the passion and the love she feels for the man she is with. Even though her head is slightly tilted away from him she is still ready and willing to share a kiss with him. From this painting we can see the truly great power and unreal feelings that love and passion can give to a couple as well to those who are around it.
In this painting you will notice there is a common gold shrouding that gives the background an instant timelessness and allows the viewer to only focus on the couple in the painting. Many people assume that the bright colors Klimt used are to show off just how bright, golden and simply beautiful the first kiss you share with someone is. This piece features a lot of gold leaf and a lot of bright eye catching colors all over the couple’s intertwined bodies.
Because Klimt liked to add sexuality to all his
oil paintings people assumes that the female in the painting is giving into the kiss because she is having a moment of sexual ecstasy. It is also assumed that both of the lovers have loss themselves in their passion and love and it is in a unity that only two people who are truly in love can explain and experience.
Many art analysis think that the models in the masterpiece is himself and his companion
Emilie Floge. However since Klimt was known for being unfaithful throughout his life, there is no way to really tell if that is who the couple is.
The Kiss by Gustav Klimt is a one of a kind masterpiece that shows what love should be like at all times. Passion and unity should be a part of a couples relationship. The hands and faces are the only thing that is shown in detail in this painting, this is because their bodies are combined in a great gold swirl of true love and also erotic passion.
