The Kiss by Edvard Munch

The Kiss

Edvard Munch · 1897

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“Stop and look at how Edvard Munch portrays a kiss not just as an act of affection, but as a profound merging of two individuals, blurring their identities into one shadowy form. This work, rich in emotional intensity, exemplifies the Symbolist and Expressionist focus on inner psychological states.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

In this painting, two figures merge into a single, almost abstract form, their faces dissolving into one another. The embrace is so tight that their individual identities seem to disappear, emphasizing a profound, almost suffocating intimacy. The scene unfolds within a dimly lit room, with a window offering a glimpse of a streetlamp and perhaps a tree, suggesting an urban setting and the passage of time. The muted colors and broad brushstrokes create a sense of melancholy and introspection, typical of Symbolism and Expressionism, movements that explored emotional and psychological states rather than objective reality. The artwork invites viewers to consider the complex nature of human connection, where love can be both unifying and consuming. The tempera on canvas medium contributes to the painting's somber, matte finish, enhancing its emotional depth.

DETAILS
Artist
Edvard Munch
Date
1897
Medium
Tempera on canvas
Location
Munch Museum
ART MOVEMENTS
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The Kiss
01

The way the two faces blend into one indistinct mass.

02

The dark, almost featureless clothing of the figures.

03

The single window, offering the only light source in the room.

04

The subtle outline of a streetlamp or tree outside the window.

AUDIO DEEP DIVE

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THE ARTIST

Edvard Munch

1863–1944 · Norway

Norwegian painter whose 1893 work The Scream became one of Western art's most iconic images.

Read Munch’s full story
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EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

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More works to explore

Beyond Munch and Symbolism: works from the same years, and from the other movements The Kiss belongs to.

Cart with Red and White Ox Same movement · Expressionism Cart with Red and White Ox Vincent van Gogh · 1884 · Kröller-Müller Museum A Woman Walking in a Garden Same era · 1880s–1910s A Woman Walking in a Garden Vincent van Gogh · 1887 · Frans Buffa & sons Birth Same movement · Expressionism Birth Marc Chagall · 1911 · Art Institute of Chicago Still Life with Crayfish Same era · 1880s–1910s Still Life with Crayfish Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig Crouching Nude in Shoes and Black Stockings, Back View Same movement · Expressionism Crouching Nude in Shoes and Black Stockings, Back View Egon Schiele · 1912 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen Same era · 1880s–1910s Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1906 · Museum Frieder Burda Death in the Garden (Legend) Same movement · Expressionism Death in the Garden (Legend) Paul Klee · 1919 · Art Institute of Chicago A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Same era · 1880s–1910s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
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