The outside of the Belvedere building in Vienna looks impressive and it has been the home of the Ăsterreichische Gallery Belvedere since 1903. The baroque palace, surrounded by terraces, gardens and ponds, is a stunning safe that harbours the worldâs most famous piece of Gustav Klimt artwork: The Kiss.
The painting
The dark, impressive room makes the world famous painting by Gustav Klimt look like a full moon in a dark night. The beautiful gold shines like an aureole around the ornament, a couple in love. The man is kissing the woman on her cheek in a passionate embrace while the pair is standing on the edge of an abyss in a field of flowers. While the man has been painted in square, angular shapes, the woman is depicted in soft, round lines and floral patterns. Everything is set against an atmosphere that feels holy.
Klimt and Jugendstil
Gustav Klimt (186201918) was one of the most prominent members of the Wiener Secession (the Jugendstil movement in Vienna). Various artistic decorations from the Art Deco and Art Nouveau period can be found at Antique Style Web Store. The shapes, colours and theme of The Kiss are very appealing to Art Nouveau lovers and this is why Antique Style Web Store has a lovely collection of The Kiss home furnishings. The best part of this piece of art is that it does not just look great in a historical interior, but also in a modern interior. Klimt painted a magnificent, timeless painting with a breathtaking composition that will never bore you.
Golden phase
The Kiss was painted by Klimt in 1907. The use of gold in the painting is remarkable and it was applied with the help of various techniques. In fact, gold became a recurrent theme in his work and it was a significant development in Klimtâs career with The Kiss as its highlight. This period is also referred to as Klimtâs âgolden phaseâ. The artist drew inspiration from the world of Byzantine mosaics.