"The Art of the Kiss"


Van Hart "On Art"        Issue #2        July 2008

Dear Friends,
 
Here's the second issue of my newsletter.  It was fun to write, and hope you enjoy it enough to read it to the end, where there is a special offer awaiting you.
 
All the best,
Holly
  

The Art of The Kiss  

This newsletter is about the art of "The Kiss", and it's rated PG for brief nudity.  It's not about the art of kissing, which I'll gladly let someone else cover.  It's about art depicting a kiss, which is apparently a very popular subject in art.
 
Let's start with "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt (Austrian artist, 1862-1918).  This painting was created in oil and gold leaf, and is Klimt's most famous work. 
 
"The Kiss", Gustav Klimt
 
This painting has many interpretations, ranging from "the man is lost in the kiss (faceless and unidentifiable) while the woman is turning her head away and is aloof" to my preferred version "represents how bright, beautiful, and golden everything is when you kiss someone".  This image was reproduced widely and even appeared on the 100 euro gold coin issued five years ago.
 
Another famous image of a kiss is Robert Doisneau's "The Kiss by the Hôtel de Ville".  Robert Doisneau (1912-1994) was a French photographer noted for his depictions of Parisian street life.  Doisneau's image is considered one of the most romantic ever taken; it was first printed as a poster in 1986.

 
"The Kiss by the Hotel de Ville", Robert Doisneau
 
Predating both of these works was Auguste Rodin's "The Kiss".  This sculpture contributed greatly to Rodin's reputation in his lifetime, and is one of his most reproduced works.  While the two works above show a kiss actually taking place, Rodin's sculpture shows the moment just before the kiss.  It was created in 1880, during the time when he had an affair with Camille Claudel and created numerous sculptures of passionate couples.
 
Rodin's "The Kiss" uses nude figures and was his most censored work.  At an exhibit in England in 1913, it had to be draped with a sheet.  In Japan in 1924, bamboo screens were placed around it.  
 
Here's my version of "The Kiss" (rated PG), inspired by Rodin's sculpture:
 

"The Kiss", Holly Van Hart

 
As some of you know, I did a series of watercolor paintings based on Rodin's sculptures.  "The Kiss" is my first oil painting in this series.  You can read more about it in my new blog, which is updated every week or so with a new painting.
 
Thanks for reading this to the end.  Don't forget to give your loved one a big kiss today!
 
Holly
 
 
Related links:  "The Kiss" by Klimt, Doisneau, Rodin, and me 
 
Quote of the Day:   "A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous. "  Ingrid Bergman
 
Congratulations to Elizabeth M, winner of the drawing in May for a set of note cards.  The note cards are based on my paintings and are available for purchase online and (for those of you who are local) at the gift shop of Virtual Image Salon in Portola Valley.
 
Special offer:
If you enter a comment in my new blog between now and July 20, your name will be entered in a drawing for a set of notecards or your choice of one of my oil sketches (subjects vary from still lifes to cityscapes to landscapes, and more).  They are typically 8"x10" or 11"x14", and can be framed to make a nice little piece of original art.
 
Please spread the word!  If you have friends or family who might be interested in this newsletter, feel free to forward it to them.
 
Links: 
 
 
 
 (c) Copyright 2008 Holly Van Hart