The Kiss

Gold surrounds two lovers as they melt into a single embrace, so wrapped up in each other that the rest of the world seems to disappear. Gustav Klimt painted this scene, known as "The Kiss," between 1907 and 1908, right in the middle of his celebrated Golden Period. He layered actual gold leaf onto the canvas, a trick he borrowed from the dazzling Byzantine mosaics he admired during a trip to Italy. The two figures are dressed very differently too, with the man's robe patterned in strong black and white blocks while the woman's flows with gentle flowers, a quiet hint that opposites can still fit perfectly together.

Kneeling at the edge of a blooming meadow, the couple appears to hover in a warm, timeless glow. The identity of the models stays a mystery, though many think the woman may be Emilie Flöge, Klimt's close companion for much of his life. The Austrian government was so taken with the work that they snapped it up before Klimt had even finished painting, which was a real vote of confidence considering how often his bolder pieces had sparked outrage.

Now hanging in Vienna's Belvedere museum, the painting continues to win hearts around the globe. Its lasting appeal is simple: it captures that soft, tender moment of holding someone you love, a feeling almost everyone recognizes.