The Kiss

Painting Description: "The Kiss" by Valeria Notarnicola

Medium: Acrylic and lacquer on canvas
Dimensions: 80 × 60 cm
Date: May 2025
Style: In the tradition of Gustav Klimt

In The Embrace, Valeria Notarnicola reimagines Gustav Klimt’s iconic lovers in a contemporary, kaleidoscopic celebration of intimacy, devotion, and mythic union. Drawing on the rich decorative language of Klimt’s Golden Phase, the composition is infused with emotion and spiritual symbolism, yet distinct in its bold color choices and expressive detailing.

Two figures are entwined in a tender embrace, their faces gently touching in a moment of suspended time. The man’s features are soft and reverent, while the woman’s closed eyes and delicate smile suggest surrender, trust, and the sacredness of connection. Their garments are alive with geometric ornamentation, spirals, and mosaics, echoing Klimt’s tessellated compositions but with personalized, modern nuances.

The woman's red hair, adorned with blossoms, blooms into a halo of color and floral abundance—evoking Aphrodite, the divine embodiment of love and sensuality. Meanwhile, the background explodes into a rich visual field of emerald greens and luminous golds, patterned with cubes, spirals, and floral textures that create both depth and symbolic layering.

A series of mandala-like sun discs and cameo portraits within the woman’s robe subtly hint at generational memory, identity, and maternal lineage, bringing a deeply personal and mythological subtext to the universal theme of love. The shimmering lacquered surface further elevates the visual intensity, giving the piece a sacred, almost relic-like presence.

Interpretation

The Embrace is more than a romantic portrait—it is a mythic celebration of sacred union, drawing from Klimt’s sensual aesthetics and infusing them with contemporary color, symbolism, and emotional immediacy. Notarnicola transforms ornament into narrative, creating a visual poem where love becomes both personal ritual and timeless archetype.