Artist | Gustav Klimt (1862 – 1918)

Year | 1908 (completed 1909)

Medium

Oil resin with gold, silver, and platinum leaf on primed canvas; background includes brass (Schlagmetall) and metal leaf flakes.

Dimensions

180 × 180 cm

Location

The Belvedere : Upper Belvedere →

The Kiss (Lovers)

Painted at the height of his Golden Period, this is Gustav Klimt's most famous work. It depicts a couple fused into a single unity at the edge of a flowery meadow, embraced by a shimmering golden halo. Klimt used genuine gold, silver, and platinum leaf to create the intricate patterns that distinguish the two figures. First exhibited in 1908 under the title "Liebespaar" (Lovers), it was immediately purchased by the Ministry of Art for a high sum and has been known by its world-famous title "The Kiss" since 1909.