1907-08
180 x 180 cm (71 x 71 in)
Österreichisches Galerie Wien, Vienna
Man leaning over and kissing kneeling woman
All shrouded in symbolically patterned gold
A bed of flowers below them

Reviews

(1) - Just as Munch can be associated with both Symbolism and Expressionism, so the art of the Austrian painter, Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), is a curious and elegant synthesis of Symbolism and Art Nouveau
The Austrians responded enthusiastically to the decorative artifice of Art Nouveau, and Klimt is almost artifice incarnate
He painted large ornamental friezes of allegorical scenes, and produced fashionable portraits, uniting the stylized shapes and unnatural colors of Symbolism with his own essentially harmonious concept of beauty
"The Kiss" is a fascinating icon of the loss of self that lovers experience
Only the faces and hands of this couple are visible - all the rest is great swirl of gold, studded with colored rectangles as if to express visually the emotional and physical explosion of erotic love

(2) - Gustav Klimt, an Austrian artist born in 1862, was the leader of the Vienna Secession, a group of Austrian artists and architects influenced by the Art Nouveau movement in France
Borrowing from the flat, curving lines and richly patterned images popular in turn-of-the-century French art and design, Klimt's unique style combines realism, sensuality, and spirituality
These elements set his style apart and give it its signature look
Klimt's paintings, like "The Kiss", reflect his interest in mosaics and his love for jewel tones, gold and enamel