Kiss: love or pain

By Do Gwang-hwan

A kiss is sweet. The word alone evokes excitement. However, a kiss doesn’t only symbolize sweetness.

Behind a kiss, various pains can linger -- separation, reminiscence, or even death.

Auguste Rodin (1840~1917) created the timeless “The Kiss,” evoking the essence of “passion” (1882).

A woman’s hand embracing a man’s neck, a man’s hand placed tenderly on a woman’s thigh, the slightly parted upper body of the woman -- all invoke desires one wishes to emulate.

▲ "Kiss" by Rodin.

The most famous painting featuring a kiss is Gustav Klimt’s (1862~1918) “The Kiss,” bathed in golden hues (1908).

Just before the lips meet, the nonchalant expression of the woman suggests an almost casual acceptance. Holding the hand of the man who gently wraps his arm around her, one can feel the deepening connection between them. The kneeling posture of the woman is a beautiful surrender to love. The sensuality associated with death is subtly concealed, as critics have noted.

▲ "Kiss" by Klimt.

Rene Magritte’s (1898~1967) kiss is mysterious or surreal, in line with his tendency towards surrealism (1928). This artwork, often quoted to satirize the era of COVID-19, establishes Magritte as a painter who foresaw humanity’s pathos.

▲ "Kiss" by Magritte.

The kiss crafted by Antonio Canova (1757~1822), a Neoclassical French sculptor, is a sublime ecstasy.

“Cupid and Psyche” (1793) is a “captured moment” that transposes mythological content into the real world. The gaze of Cupid, wrapped in Psyche’s hands, is an ardent pull resisting gravity.

▲ "Kiss" by Canova.

Beautiful yet profoundly sad, the kiss painted by Francesco Hayez (1791~1882) portrays lovers parting ways (1859). It is associated with the “Italian Unification Movement.”

A soldier, part of the war against the powerful Austria, departs for the battlefield, bidding farewell to a French woman. The reluctance to part is subtly expressed through their faces and the unified shadow. The red cloak (Italy) and the blue dress (France) symbolize the alliance between the two nations.

▲ "Kiss" by Hayez.

Constantin Brancusi’s (1876~1957) kiss is like a fairy tale (1908).

It doesn’t hide the physical properties of the stone, presenting them as they are. Beyond simplicity lies monotony, an unsmoothed beauty.

This work is said to have been created after seeing Rodin’s “The Kiss,” reflecting Brancusi’s determination to overcome the master. Brancusi consistently produced kiss-themed artworks.

▲ "Kiss" by Brâncuși.

The symbol of love shared between men and women is the kiss.

While usually involving the contact of lips and the functions of eating, speaking, and smiling, as seen in various artworks, it is also the meeting of hands.

A kiss is more intense just before it happens. Even if you don’t necessarily kiss, if you want to express love to your significant other, start by holding hands. Before that, gaze into each other’s eyes. Even if it’s momentarily blinding...

If you love, exchange comes before desire.