Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss"

On a florid knoll in a golden abyss, two lovers pose intertwined in each other and exotic vines. Such is the scene of Gustav Klimt’s most recognizable work, “The Kiss”. A prime example of work from Klimt’s gold period, the painting is several different depths of metallic and paints a picture of a decadent and sensual embrace between a beautiful woman and a dashing stud with flowers in his hair. Flowers seem to overwhelm the piece, covering the pair’s garments and the foreground. Looking at the painting from a 21^st Century perspective, it is easy to see the transition from an Art Nouveau piece such as “The Kiss” to the psychedelic art and ephemera of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Perhaps that is what make’s the work seem so overindulgent and irrelevant today. Perhaps it is overexposure to Hallmark Valentines and the Midwestern, suburban interior decorators of our time that render “The Kiss” cliché. Gustav Klimt’s attention to detail and meticulous craftsmanship are impressive to this day, but studying the “The Kiss”, one may be troubled to find anything commendable past the aesthetic plastic of the painting. It’s nice to look at. That seems to be about it. There is a reason “The Kiss” seems right at home above granite counter tops, next to stainless steal appliances, over “Truly Taupe” painted walls- because it is.