The Kiss (Lovers), oil and gold leaf on canvas, 1907–1908. Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, 180 cm × 180 cm

Image source: https://www.gustav-klimt.com/The-Kiss.jsp

In this particular work, Gustav Klimt captures a striking and stylized scene with decorative elements. At first glance, we see a man tenderly embracing and kissing a woman on the cheek. The two human figures are symbolically unified in a golden form, while at the same time they retain their individuality through the different shapes that can be distinguished on the man's side and on the woman's side. More specifically, the masculine character is represented by the vertical rectangular shapes in white, black, and gray, while the feminine form is represented by the flowing curved lines and the abundant colored circles that resemble flowers. The different elements are thus united through love and are presented in an image outside a specific place and time, highlighting its timeless essence.

The students were asked to borrow the decorative elements and symbolism of Gustav Klimt's painting language, applying them to a new image that captures a pair of parrots.

Students' artworks