Weekly Art Talk: Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss"

Wonderfully intricate and dripping in gold

SCRIPT

Today, we are exploring Gustav Klimt’s wonderful and infamous painting, “The Kiss.” Created in 1907 and measured at 6 feet by 6 feet, it is truly eye-catching in its exquisite use of pattern and overabundance of gold leafing. During this time, Klimt was facing massive backlash due to his Faculty Painting series on the ceiling of the University of Vienna, depicting philosophy, medicine, and jurisprudence. The public thought his work was borderline pornographic and reprehensible; labeling him as an enfant terrible.

“The Kiss” features a male and female figure, embracing each other in an act of tranquil passion. The man leans down, gently cupping the woman’s face and places a kiss on her cheek as one of her arms is delicately draped around his neck. Peacefully in bliss, their eyes are closed and kneeling against, what seems to be, a grassy landscape full of wildflowers. The work is almost entirely filled with gold, saturating the background, foreground, and figures with a robust and refined glimmer. Our eyes move in an erratic motion, attempting to take in every detail of the piece but never fully succeeding. Inspired by the Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna, the unconventional and angled organization of Japanese prints, and earlier Impressionists artworks, The Kiss is Klimt’s signature Art Nouveau style.

This is the magic of Gustav’s “Golden Phase” masterpieces; though, in many of his works before this time, the central focus has always been on love. Klimt remained unmarried to the end of his life but he held such a prominent affection for intimacy whether that is between lovers or family – these are most notable in The Tree of Life, The Family, The Three Ages of Women, Girlfriends, Adam and Eve, and Love.

Despite the beauty of The Kiss, Klimt also faced a slew of criticism for this piece, claiming that it was “too raunchy” to be considered a serious art piece. Despite this, The Kiss was sold to the Austrian Government and its home in The Belvedere Museum of Vienna at a price of 25,000 crowns. This would be around $240,000 in American currency at our present time – quite a steal if you ask me. And now, it has become the pinnacle of Gustav Klimt’s artistic career and one of the most memorable paintings in art history.

And that’s art.