K is for Kisses, Klimt and Kerouac

Portrait of Helene Klimt by Gustav Klimt, 1898

Given that an unexpected sub-theme of art and creativity has emerged alongside my original planned theme of On the Move: Transitions, Travel, and Transformation, I thought I’d go with the flow and have a look at Gustav Klimt (and kissing).

Gustav Klimt, 1914

Austrian by birth, Klimt often turned to the female form for inspiration.

The Kiss (1907-1908) by Gustav Klimt – oil and gold leaf on canvas

Kissing, it turns out, is a common subject in art.

The Kiss by Francesco Hayez, 1859

I was certainly taken by Rodin’s sculpture, The Kiss during my recent trip to Paris. It’s an impressive piece of sculpture and not just for its size. It has literary connections as well. Apparently, the couple depicted fell in love while reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere (beware of reading racy literature… you never know where it might lead!)

Mary Cassatt revisited the image of mothers kissing babies several times including in this painting from 1891 entitled Mother’s Kiss               

Picasso’s Kiss (1925) is, not surprisingly, inscrutable… 

Given that Romeo and Juliet must be one of the most famous couples of all time, it’s hardly surprising that their passionate affair has been captured in art.

The Last Kiss of Romeo and Juliet by Francesco Hayez (1823)

Of course, one doesn’t only have to kiss babies and sweethearts. In this next painting, Joan of Arc gets intimate with a sword. And no, that’s not some kind of euphemism.

Joan of Arc Kisses the Sword of Liberation by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1863

Considering I’m supposed to be a writer, I’ve been largely ignoring the literary arts in these posts, something I’ll endeavour to address from here on… Jack Kerouac’s novel On the Road might not have been about kissing per se, but reading the novel when I was younger definitely instilled in me a love of the open road and – road trips! When I was looking through my photos for shots that might tie in with Kerouac, road trips, or kissing, I came across this one:

Sorry, Dad – avert your eyes. I call this one Texas Kiss and Kick. It was part of a selfie series we took when we were on a climbing/camping road trip in the southern USA several years ago.  

I do love road trips. Looking through those photos makes me want to load up the car with snacks and head off … Kansas, maybe. Or Kentucky?

Are you a road trip fan? What’s your favourite road trip destination?