PLUS-PLUS Plus Plus Inspired | Klimt

Observe, admire, and create with the Plus-Plus Inspired® series. Iconic works of art, like Klimt’s The Kiss, have delighted viewers worldwide for ages. Now, let this masterpiece inspire you to make something uniquely yours to enjoy at home or in the office. With Plus-Plus Inspired, the only instruction is to exercise your imagination. Go ahead, take a creative adventure with these timeless masterpieces and discover new possibilities all your own. Included is an engaging leaflet about this artwork, the artist, and ideas to help inspire your own creations.

The Plus-Plus Inspired series honors famous cultural expressions through unique color palettes. Each item is inspired by an artwork, architectural design, or landmark. The Inspired series offers completely open-ended creativity for both Kids & ‘Kidults’.

How does Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss inspire you?
A man obsessively devoted to his craft, Gustav Klimt’s paintings are evidence that he was 
inspired by many things. In a style uniquely his own, he deliberately and proudly merged what inspired him onto the canvas.
Klimt’s primary subject was the female body, followed by landscapes. His later works are characterized by a rejection of earlier naturalistic styles, and make use of symbolic elements to convey psychological
ideas and emphasize the freedom of art from traditional culture. The Kiss is Klimt’s most popular work and is thought to be him and his companion. The male figure’s coat of black and gray blocks is contrasted by the females bright, circular, floral motifs and wavy lines. They are further surrounded in golden rain that blesses the fertile earth. It is a concoction of different schools of art. The gold leaf reflects religious art of the Middle Ages and Byzantine Empire, which some considered sacrilegious. The composition reflects the influence of Japanese prints. The detailed patterns in the two coats reflects mosaic art he admired while visiting Italy. Finally, he infused it with elements of his signature Art Nouveau style. In 2003, Austria fittingly issued a 100-Euro gold coin with Klimt’s head on one side and The Kiss on the other side.

The Kiss
Oil and gold leaf on canvas, c. 1908
72 x 72 in / 180 x 180 cm
The Belvedere Museum (Vienna, Austria)

GUSTAV KLIMT
b. 1866, Baumgarten, Austria; d. 1918, Vienna, Austria