“Again my eager mouth seeks to encounter Your lips that bless me with their kisses I wish to hold your dear fingers And enlace them playfully in mine” These verses (LOVE) by Hermann Hesse could have been written for Gustav Klimt’s undoubtedly most famous painting of lovers (The Kiss), Alfred Weidinger refers to it as a “monumental icon”, which is known worldwide and entices thousands of visitors to the Belvedere in Vienna every year. While the golden background represents the divine on Russian icons, this image painted on a golden background and decorated with gold leaf is an ode to love. The authors present, from the point of view of the latest research, all the essential aspects of the creation, significance, and history of this popular work of art, as well as interesting and entertaining facts about the painter and the role of women in the artist’s life and paintings. A visual feast and enjoyable reading experience for all enthusiasts of the Viennese Art Nouveau and its greatest master.

Contributions by: Stefanie Penck, Alfred Weidinger