“The Kiss” by the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) has long been a source of competing interpretations of the intended identities of the gracefully rendered man and woman captured in a timeless embrace. Some scholars have argued that the composition may be representative of the kiss between Apollo and Daphne in the Greek myth, as described in “Metamorphoses” by the Roman poet Ovid (8th century CE). Many believe the combination of the male figure’s leafy crown, the abundance of florals and green vines sprouting from the female figure, as well as the nonchalant expression on the woman’s face suggest that these subjects can possibly be Apollo and Daphne. Even though Daphne turned into a laurel tree to escape Apollo’s amorous advances, he yet embraces her, while the woman’s bare feet are planted on the flowering ground, and golden threads are seemingly holding her to it. Perhaps, Klimt conceived such a figurative yet dreamy subject matter as an homage to the ancient story?—Diana Guber, “The Mystique of the Kiss,” 2022.
Gustav Klimt, “The Kiss,” 1907–1908. Oil paint, Gold leaf. Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, Austria.