Who?

Gustav Klimt was an Austrian painter known for his paintings, murals, sketches and other objects of art. He was born in 1862 and died in 1918 in Austria. Gustav was a member of the ‘Wiener Secession’ (an association of visual artists). Klimt's art emerged during an artistic blooming period in Vienna, and his art style is most commonly associated with Symbolism and Jugendstil. Common themes in Gustav Klimt’s works were love, intimacy and sexuality.

What is “The Kiss” about?

The Kiss is an oil on canvas painting with added gold leaf, silver and platinum. The Kiss was the most popular work by Gustav Klimt. He gained inspiration for this work in 1903 on a journey to Ravenna to see the Byzantine Mosaics. The painting contains various motifs from several cultural epochs, above all from Ancient Egyptian mythology. But the painting reveals much more, such as references to Klimt’s love for his companion Emilie Flöge.