The Kiss
Gustav Klimt · 1907–1908
Oil and gold leaf on canvas
Quick answer
The Kiss (1907–1908) by Gustav Klimt is in Belvedere Museum, Vienna. The Kiss is an oil and gold leaf painting by Austrian Symbolist artist Gustav Klimt, created between 1907 and 1908 during his "Golden Phase." It depicts a couple locked in an embrace, their robes merging into a single mosaic-like form of gold, flowers, and geometric shapes against a gold background. The painting is displayed at the Upper Belvedere Palace Museum in Vienna, Austria. It is the most famous work of Austrian art and one of the defining images of early 20th-century Symbolism. World Museum Guide explains what you're looking at and how to see it.
Frequently asked questions
Where is The Kiss by Klimt?
The Kiss by Klimt is permanently displayed at the Upper Belvedere Palace Museum in Vienna, Austria, in Room IX. The Belvedere is a spectacular Baroque palace and houses Austria's most important collection of Klimt's work, including Judith I and several others.
Who are the couple in The Kiss?
The identities have never been confirmed. The most popular theory is that the woman is Emilie Flöge, the fashion designer who was Klimt's lifelong companion and probable lover. Klimt himself has been proposed as the man. However, Klimt never confirmed the identities, and the figures' faces are partially concealed, making definitive identification impossible.
What does The Kiss represent?
The Kiss depicts a moment of romantic and possibly spiritual union. The two figures' robes merge into a single golden form, symbolising the dissolution of individual identity in love. The flowery meadow at their knees — and the suggestion that they stand at the edge of a precipice — adds a sense of vulnerability and transcendence. The painting can be read as a vision of erotic love, divine love, or the loss of self in connection with another.
Is The Kiss the most famous Austrian painting?
Yes — The Kiss is widely regarded as the most famous work of Austrian art. Klimt's Adele Bloch-Bauer I (also known as "The Woman in Gold") is the most valuable, having sold for $135 million in 2006 after a famous restitution case. But The Kiss, in the Belvedere's public collection, is the most visited and reproduced.
What style is The Kiss?
The Kiss is a Symbolist painting and a key work of the Vienna Secession — the Austrian equivalent of the Art Nouveau movement. Klimt co-founded the Vienna Secession in 1897 with the aim of breaking from academic tradition and integrating fine art with crafts and decoration. The Kiss perfectly embodies Secession principles: the boundary between painting and decorative ornament is deliberately dissolved.