5 Love Paintings You Should Not Miss

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you.

- An excerpt from the poem On Love by Kahlil Gibran

Personally, I have been blessed in relationships and love; but I do agree with this quote. In fact, I would strongly recommend checking out the complete poem if you haven't.

While I was going through this poem by Gibran, I came across few paintings exclusively speaking to us about love, romanticism, intimacy, and sexuality.

Let's dive into the 5 most iconic love paintings that you should not miss.

1. The Arnolfini Wedding Portrait by Jan van Eyck (1434)

Subject to varied interpretations of art scholars and historians, this is one of the most enigmatic love paintings.

The couple is richly dressed and in the process of contracting a marriage. The ambiance is aesthetically beautiful. The dog symbolizes the loyalty of the couple towards each other and the oranges near the window have a deeper meaning than their still-life presence. The fruits signify Arnolfini's affluent position in his society.

Although the painting does not reflect intimate settings, the shy love language is clearly visible between the couple. The affectionate romanticism makes its way through the painting, directly to the viewer's heart.

2. The Kiss

The Kiss is one of those few paintings that transcends time and media. Recreated innumerable times and adapted in popular cultures, 'The Kiss' succeeds in evoking a moment of intense sensual pleasure, within a sharply stylized and flattened composition. Below are some of the most influential adaptations - I would list them down chronologically.

In Bed, The Kiss by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1892)

This captivating artwork was surely ahead of its time. It features two women dovetailed together as if they had the fear of separation from each other. This painting is the epitome of sensuality and passionate love.

The Kiss by Edvard Munch (1897)

Although Edvard Munch is synonymous with his iconic painting The Scream, he created a love painting The Kiss. This art piece depicts a couple surrounded almost with the same dark ambiance as in The Scream but with a touch of silver daylight shining through a window that is mostly covered by a curtain. The couple is literally frozen in their embrace and the faces of the two appear to be merged as one illustrates their sense of belongingness.

"Most of Munch's figures," writes Roberta Smith, "are not mad, but paralyzed by oceanic feelings of grief, jealousy, desire or despair that many people found shocking either for their eroticism, crude style, or intimations of mental instability.

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt (1907)

Gustav Klimt portrays a couple wrapped in a tight embrace and their everlasting kiss. The composition is filled with a bright golden background. The man wears a robe with geometric patterns and the woman's dress is adorned with a crown of flowers. The Kiss by Klimt represents the apex of his golden period. The Belvedere Museum of Vienna purchased this masterpiece even before Klimt had completely finished it.

On a personal note- I gifted a diary with an imprint of this painting on the front cover to my husband who was then my boyfriend. Obviously, I had no idea how iconic this artwork is at that time.

3. The Honeysuckle Bower by Peter Paul Rubens (1609)

This romantic painting was a self-portrait of the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens and his new young wife, Isabella Brant.

Brant has gently placed her hand over Rubens in a flourishing garden surrounded by honeysuckle, signifying the traditional symbols of love. During the 17th century when marriage portraits were formal, this painting stands out for being fluent and sensuous. The joy and contentment of Isabella's smile are self-evident and unmatched.

It is well known that they were perfectly matched (Rubens, a gifted writer, left eloquent letters praising Isabella's serene good humour).

4. The Lovers by Rene Magritte (1928)

Among all the love paintings, The Lovers is my personal favorite. Although the couple is half-shrouded with a white cloth and the setting seems uncanny, the artist speaks a lot through this painting. A passionate artwork where both of them are unable to communicate or touch but glued together. Many wonder if this is a kiss of denied love.

Just like all other Magritte artworks, this painting revolves around the themes of darkness, mystery, and unrequited love.

5. Self Portrait as a Tehuana by Frida Kahlo (1943)

Love can complete you. It can also destroy you.

This quote aptly summarizes Frida's love relationships. She had a tumultuous relationship with her husband Diego Rivera. Both of them got married, divorced, and remarried. Although Rivera continued to betray her with relationships with other women, she was desperate for him. Frida's obsession reached a level where she drew a miniature portrait of her husband on her brow.

References-

1. The 10 best love paintings

2. the most evocative and influential paintings about love