There are many aspects that get over looked when one looks at paintings. Many people stop to examine artwork for a brief second before moving on to the next. Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss,” can peak the viewer’s curiosity and indulge their emotions.  Closer examination may open the doors to a story and deeper meaning. The viewer decides what the piece means to them. 

            A surge of color presents itself in the painting. The most prominent color being gold. There are two kinds of gold used. The background features a darker, fall gold. Deep gold was splattered onto a dark forest green.  The gold surrounding the couple is a brighter, summer gold. Because this gold is bright and the background is darker, it brings the viewers eyes to the center to the couple’s embrace. Gold is a symbol of wealth. The observation that the pair is engulfed by gold can be a sign that that the couple has money. Or perhaps their love is actually the cause of the wealth. They don’t need riches to provide them with happiness, but their love instead. The two are enclosed in a blanket of gold, radiating love that wraps them together. The man in the painting has a darker skin pigmentation then the woman. He has a golden brown tone. The woman, on the other hand, has a pale, rosy complexion. This may be more of an artist thing than a message. At times when artists make two or more people with the same complexion they will blend together. In this case, the contrast separates the two bodies. Her lips are a nice peach color rather than a natural pink. She has very little makeup besides this. The lack of makeup detracts from the theory of wealth, but it almost appears as if they’re in bed. Typically, women don’t wear make up to bed. Upon closer observation, you notice that the man’s colors on the blanket are more black, white, and gray; whereas the woman has red, orange, blue, green with black, white, and gray outlines. The man has more neutral colors which outlines the man’s masculinity. The woman has brighter, more outgoing colors which provides femininity. 

            Many different shapes appear in the painting. The man has mainly rectangles on his side of the gold blanket. This can tell the viewer that he is edgier or more masculine compared to the woman. The woman has circles which are softer. The circles appear to be in clusters which form a polka dot pattern. The woman also has tiny stars centralized around her abdomen. Perhaps this is a suggestion that the woman is pregnant. The background has faint rectangles just like the man's side, but the rest of the blanket has circles like the woman. The symbols provide unity and lack exclusion. On the bottom of the blanket and painting there are strings of triangles trickling downward. These strings provide a calmness and flow similar to willow tree branches blowing through the wind. They flow over what appears to be a bed of flowers. The woman has flowers in her hair which is another sign of femininity. Her hair forms a circle like the halos seen in religious art. She becomes an angelic figure. The man has an ivy crown around his head. Greeks and Olympic athletes often wear ivy crowns around their head.  The artist may be revealing that the character is Greek. On the contrary, the artist may be showing the man’s masculinity. This could also explain the dark skin. The man and woman could come from different places. The situation could relate to Romeo, Juliet, and their forbidden love. The two characters in the painting could have snuck out to be together, which is why their love radiates. But these are simply hypothetical. 

            He holds her face with both strength and gentleness, pulling her closer to him. She seems to melt within his grasp and even has a light blush. She seems relaxed and comfortable. Each body is close to the other and adds to the closeness. If the bright gold is a bed, they appear to have a lot more room to spread out but choose to be close to each other. She has her hand resting on top of his to show that she is comfortable with him and not put in a place of discomfort. He gives her a sweet, gentle kiss on the cheek which strengthens the bond. 

The Kiss (Lovers), oil and gold leaf on canvas, 1907–1908. Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, 180 cm × 180 cmThe Kiss (Lovers), oil and gold leaf on canvas, 1907–1908. Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, 180 cm × 180 cm            With the combination of colors, shapes, and body language the viewer can see the bond between the two characters in Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss. Their closeness and bright aura provides the viewer with warm feelings and happiness. The painting can bring us back to a time of our first love or times of serenity. 
