Like all of Gustav Klimt’s work, “The Kiss” glows with gilded erotic imagery amid swirls of flamboyant ornamentation. One of Klimt’s most inspired works, “The Kiss” submerges most of the couple’s bodies in vast golden waves, representing the melding of selves experienced by lovers. An Austrian iconoclast, Klimt (1862 – 1918) rose from childhood poverty to become an artist who significantly impacted the Viennese Secession and Art Nouveau styles.