Gustav Klimt’s <em>The Kiss</em> (1908), depicting a couple embracing in almost sacred surroundings, is an ultimate depiction of pure love. Klimt glorified love in his paintings, with a particular fixation on scenes of erotic embrace. However, there may be a not-so-romantic meaning behind <em>The Kiss</em>.<br><br>The first thing to note is that the couple is dangerously close to a cliff. Klimt continued to work on the painting even after its first exhibition, especially on the carpet of flowers covering the earth. It is possible that he intentionally created the precarious position in order to heighten the aspect of love. Furthermore, on closer inspection, one notices the kneeling woman’s sealed lips, in contrast to other works by Klimt, such as <em>Danaë</em> (1907), where open lips are depicted as a sign of a woman’s beauty and sexuality. The woman in <em>The Kiss</em> seems passive, unreciprocal of the stooping man’s desire. This could also be inferred by the position of her hands: her closed right hand, falling short of an embrace, while her left hand appears to pull away his hand.<br><br>Accordingly, one can suggest that Klimt in fact portrays a romantic scene of male dominance. Could this icon of love, ostensibly interpreted as an innocent kiss, paint a picture of the state of the sexes in Klimt’s time? To see behind the painting, one must take into consideration the fiery personality of the artist who depicted love so intensely and his obsession with women – all of which is indisputable.<br>