WHERE YOU CAN ADMIRE THE KISS BY KLIMT AND WHAT IT PORTRAYS
The Kiss by Klimt is one of the most famous kisses in history of art and, in fact, I put it on the special list of the Famous kisses: 5 masterpieces talking about love.
Romantic, delicate, precious, the painting is one of Gustav Klimt’s masterpieces.
Painted between 1907 and 1908, it portrays the essence of love, and in this post I’ll explain where you can admire The Kiss by Klimtand what it exactly portrays.
The Kiss by Klimt
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WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE KISS BY KLIMT
The Kiss by Klimtis housed at the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, museum in the Belvedere palace, in Vienna.
The Museum is located in one of the most important example of Austrian Baroque art, and was the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy.
Inside the museum you can admire The Kiss by Klimt and some of the most famous masterpieces by Klimt.
Gustav Klimt, Il Bacio (1907-1908) – Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna. Image source: Cultura – Biografieonline.it
WHAT THE KISS BY KLIMT PORTRAYS
The Kiss by Klimtportrays two lovers in a tight embrace placed in an abstract place, and surrounded by golden light.
The woman’s eyes are closed and she is completely locked in her lover’s embrace and his tender kiss, while the man’s hands are cradling the woman’s face.
They wear golden tunics printed with geometric patterns, while the space around them is undefined and describes the moment the two lovers are living, the moment in which the world seems to disappear.
The Kiss by Klimt belongs to Klimt’s “Golden Period”, that is that phase in which, drawing inspiration from the Byzantine mosaics he had seen in Italy (Klimt had visited Ravenna and Venice), gold prevails in his paintings.
Klimt’s use of gold in his artworks eliminates completely any sense of depth and gives the painting a brand-new light, which seems to exit the canvas.
The Kiss by Klimtsymbolizes the triumph of sexual love, and the painting aroused great controversy because it was considered almost pornographic.
READ ALSO – The Beethoven frieze by Klimt
Sarei curiosa di sapere qualcosa sulla provenienza del dipinto e se ha una storia analoga al ritratto di Adele Bloch Bauer.
In molti hanno tentato di identificare la figura femminile del bacio. Alcuni hanno citato il nome della migliore amica di Klimt, Emilie Flöge, ma anche quello di Adele Bloch-Bauer.
Tra le altre cose c’è da ricordare che i due dipinti sono stati realizzati nello stesso periodo.
In realtà i tratti del viso sembrano somiglianti a molte delle donne ritratte da Klimt, ma è praticamente impossibile riconoscere una persona reale.
Quando Klimt, nel 1908, espose per la prima volta il dipinto al pubblico, l’opera fu subito acquistata dalla Österreichische Galerie ed ecco spiegato perché il dipinto fa parte ancora oggi di quella collezione.
Quindi Klimt non lo realizzò per una committente privata.
“His hungry eyes upon her face he fed,
And feeding them so, pined himself away;
And she, declining often down her head,
His lips, his cheeks, his eyes kissed, as he lay,
Wherewith he sighed, as if his soul had fled
From his frail breast to hers, and there would stay
With her beloved sprite: the armed pair
These follies all beheld and this hot fare…”
Thanks <3
I’ve always felt uneasy about this painting. The position of the woman’s head, in particular. Her neck is bent at an extreme angle. And he’s holding her head in place – is he showing his dominance by forcing her into this uncomfortable pose so that he can kiss her? Is that a look of pleasure or simple resignation on her face?
To me it always seemed like a moment of total abandonment of her and him. No other pernsieri but the love that holds them together.
Ma l’uomo non ha il collo piegato ad un’angolazione estrema? Ma è dipinto che rappresenta la realtà nuda e cruda o da una rappresentazione simbolica?Perfino i contorni dell’uomo sono sfumati per dare più importanza alla donna. Siamo alla frutta con questa ossessione di vedere domini maschili ovunque! Che diamine!