The Kiss
The artist
Auguste Rodin (French), 1882.
What you see
Two young lovers sit close together in a tender embrace, sharing a gentle kiss as their bodies lean softly toward each other.
The story
The sculpture is inspired by an old Italian story about two people who fell deeply in love. Rodin captured the sweet, quiet moment when they first share their love.
The style
It is carved from a single block of smooth white marble, a soft-looking stone that Rodin shaped with hammers and chisels.
Look closer
Look at the man's hand resting gently on the woman's side, so soft it hardly seems to touch. The marble almost looks like warm, living skin.
Where to see it
You can see it at the Musee Rodin in Paris, France.
Fun fact
Rodin worked so carefully that you can still see a small unfinished patch of rough stone at the base, showing how the smooth lovers grew out of a raw block.