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8 Passionate Kisses That Transcend Time And Space

Passion, faith, pain and erotica

By Kamna KirtiPublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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The Kiss by Gustav Klimt. Source - Public Domain

Love can be powerful yet distressful. Love can complete you yet make you lonely in no time.

Do you wish to experience passion, faith, pain, erotica and emotions oozing out of artworks?

If yes, let's take a tour of passionate kisses in art.

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1. The Lovers by René Magritte (1928)

"Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist" - René Magritte.

Magritte's enigma, word plays and reinterpreting of the world are well known.

The Lovers takes you through the journey of enigma and wild melancholy.

A couple shrouded with a thick white sheet takes up the entirety of the frame. Little is known about the settings and their gender could be identified only through their clothes.

The white sheet deprives them of sensual skin-to-skin contact, yet their embrace looks so passionate.

Does it hint that love is blind?

The Lovers [II, III, IV]. Source - Public Domain

To dive into more of Magritte's enigma, explore Magritte's The Lovers [II, III, IV] and let me know what you find.

2. Pygmalion and Galatea by Jean-Leon Gerome (1890)

Pygmalion and Galatea

"She of the beautiful bottom or she of the round buttocks?"

At first glance, the sculpture in the painting reminds me of Venus Callipyge, literally meaning "Venus of the beautiful buttocks." This takes us to the Greco-Roman civilization, when partial nudity was exciting and sensual.

Coming to this composition in 19th-century French academic art, Gerome depicts the classic mythology of Pygmalion and Galatea.

Here it goes:

Pygmalion did not like women and found them wicked. Once he created Galatea, he instantly fell in love with his creation and wished to have a wife like Galatea. Venus fulfilled his wish for a beautiful wife as Galatea.

Notice the rosier hues on Galatea's hips, which shows her human transformation and is very well captured by Gerome. A cupid completes the painting.

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3. The Kiss by Gustav Klimt

When it comes to passionate kisses in art, Gustav Klimt is numero uno.

A couple is entwining and embracing. They are lost in their own world and floating in a golden cosmos.

They are pictured on a patch of flowers. However, they are teetering at the edge of a cliff.

The man wears a robe with erect black and grey rectangles, signifying masculinity, and the woman's dress is filled with spirals and whirls, symbolizing the Ova.

The entire canvas is filled with sheets of gold leaf.

The shape of the entwined couple is in itself a Golden Phallic symbol.

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4. The Birthday by Marc Chagall (1887)

The Birthday by Marc Chagall. Source - Public Domain

The most acrobatic love painting poses in a painting, right?

This painting is all about longingness, love, care and joy, which many of us miss in this hyper-simulated world.

So, take a moment and appreciate this masterpiece. Notice the different patterns on the carpet, bedsheet, and tablecloth.

Chagall was very much in love with his wife, Bella. While they were dating, Bella used to bring sweet cakes, boiled milk, fish and decorative art pieces for his easel.

This painting is all about those little joyous moments. Pleasant relaxation in carefree idleness, dolce far niente, if I may.

Chagall might be levitating with all the love Bella from him.

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5. Kiss V by Roy Lichtenstein (1964)

Kiss V by Roy Lichtenstein. Source - Public Domain

Kiss V is one of the most popular pieces created by American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. The use of his signature bold colors and Ben-Day dots is prominent.

At first, this might look like one of his commercial artworks. However, as we spend more time on this artwork, we can see a love scene with complicated emotions.

A yellow-haired lady with bright red lips engaged in an embrace with a man. Tears rolling down her cheeks as she closes her eyes.

Tears of joy or pain, we don't know, but the subjects do manage to draw your attention.

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6. Embrace by Egon Schiele (1917)

Embrace by Egon Schiele. Source - Public Domain

I was introduced to Egon Schiele through my art writer friend Jess the Avocado.

At first go, Schiele's artworks reminded me of Lucian Freud's intense naked portraits.

The painting might not be in line with the beautiful aesthetics of art. But the rawness and scrawny bodies catch our attention.

This portrait shows the nude couple entwined in a passionate embrace that everyone desires.

True union.

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7. The Kiss by Auguste Rodin (The Eternal Idol 1889)

The Kiss by Auguste Rodin. Source - Public Domain

This sculpture was accused of being provocative and erotic.

Rodin called The Kiss a "large sculpted knick-knack following the usual formula."

But soon, it became popular.

This sculpture represents Paolo and Francesca, two characters borrowed from Dante's Divine Comedy. Dante met in the second circle of hell. When Francesca's husband, who was Paolo's brother, discovered them, he killed them both.

Rodin beautifully captures the couple's passionate kiss when Francesca's husband catches them.

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8. The Kiss by Francesco Hayez (1859)

The Kiss by Francesco Hayez

Everything about this painting is so simple yet engaging.

A couple from the middle ages, enveloped in love.

The man with his brown robe, renaissance hat and a knife on his hip. Perhaps an Italian soldier? His body gestures suggest he is ready to go on a mission, leaving the love of his life behind.

A woman in a light blue gown leans backward as the man kisses her. The silk of her fabric is depicted with amazing realism.

Indeed, one of the most passionate representations of a kiss in western art.

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Which is your favorite and why?

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Before you go, here is my free eBook. Check it out.

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About the Creator

Kamna Kirti

Art enthusiast. I engage with art at a deep level. I also share insights about entrepreneurship, founders & nascent technologies.

https://linktr.ee/kamnakirti

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  • Emily Dickerson2 years ago

    Number 8 is my favorite - passion and love and desire do not have to be in the nude to convey their message :)

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