PainTips : Your best way to spread french culture at a family dinner : Kiss in painting

So today…it’s special! Yes, it is Valentine’s day lovers of cuteness you will be happy and served. For my part as a forever single and alone -I’m being a little bit sarcastic- I challenged myself to talk about a positive subject -a challenge! - I will try to make you smile a beautiful and happy smile!

[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"></v:path> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"></o:lock> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="Image_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_s1027" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:289.15pt;margin-top:33.8pt;width:195pt; height:195pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square; mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt; mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt; mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute; mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0; mso-width-relative:margin;mso-height-relative:margin'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/Marie/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" o:title="800px-Gustav_Klimt_016"></v:imagedata> <w:wrap type="square"></w:wrap> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif]So we will talk about kiss in painting -ha.. flu sharing it’s so romantic… sorry I’m saying stupid things !-

Our first victim, if we can call him like that, is Klimt, the little Gustave, an Austrian painter born at Baumgarten next to Vienne in 1862, it was a 14 July -In France it’s a party !-, and died in 1918. He has a strange style, indeed he is part of the symbolism (which is an art movement). Klimt will change his painting style which was first more classical, since 1890 and adopt his own style that we know nowadays. The kiss of Klimt was paint between 1906 and 1908 and is now at Vienna. It shows the passion and the confidence between the two people. “The two lovers that become one during a hug and a kiss” cc Camou

800px-Gustav_Klimt_016

[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Image_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute; margin-left:30.65pt;margin-top:48.75pt;width:314pt;height:176.65pt;z-index:251659264; visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0; mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0; mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0; mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:page; mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text; mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:margin; mso-height-relative:margin'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/Marie/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image003.jpg" o:title="HAYEZ"></v:imagedata> <w:wrap type="square" anchorx="page"></w:wrap> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif]Now let’s change the time and the place, let’s wander between centuries and go back in time. I want to introduce you to Francesco Hayez -because yes if you don’t go in Italy with the BDI I bring you there, almost in thoughts…- Francesco Hayez is not as famous as his contemporary but I think that his painting worth it’s post in this article -too much cuteness!-The Kiss was realized in 189 and is symbolic because it was realized during the conflict between the France of Napoleon III who is allied with the Italy of Victor Emmanuel II to rebuilt the unity of Italy. Consequently, the painting was created in many different versions in which we can see with the colors of the clothes that make the flag of France and Italy, which tends to show the union between the two nations, which will end to an agreement, the agreement of Plombières of 1858.

Then I bring you in Belgium, beautiful country, not only for the chips and the beer -even if for me they are the best- it is also the country of René Magritte, a surrealist Belgian painter born in 1898 and died in 1967. He makes this painting in 1928: The lovers where a couple kiss each other with the head covered by a cover. A little bit strange you can say, for the interpretations, it exists several interpretations: some think that they are in love without seeing each other, others think that this is the face of Magritte’s mother who has committed a suicide during the youth of Magritte and had the same cover on his head. Personally, I prefer the last one: to live happily you have to hide away.

[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Image_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:277.5pt; height:201pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/Marie/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image005.jpg" o:title="magritte_1"></v:imagedata> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif]

The last masterpiece that I want to show you is outside my usual competences -saying it like that It looks like I’m professional but nope, just kidding…-, but it is important for me because it raises awareness on key issues that we had to face before like the tolerance of the difference.

It’s a painting by Banksy who is a British painter and which name is Kissing Policemen and was realized around 2006 and it represents two men kissing. It is important for me because even if you are not involved in the homosexual fight it shows that love has no gender, no age, and no boundaries.