The Kiss《吻》

愛藝/譯

Gustav Klimt （1862–1918） was a 19th century Symbolist painter from Austria who became a leading light in the Vienna Secession movement and became famous for his bold use of color， decorative patterns， and allegor-ical depictions of the human figure.

古斯塔夫·克里姆特（1862—1918），19世紀奧地利象征主義畫家，是維也納分離派運動的引領者，作品以大膽的用色、裝飾圖案和對人物形象的寓言性描繪而聞名。

Klimt displayed a notable talent from an early age， and at 14 years old left his normal school to attend the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts on a full scholarship. After his graduation in 1883， he opened an independent studio specializing in the execution of mural paintings. His early work had a classical style that was typical of late 19th-century academic painting. In 1897 Klimt’s mature style emerged， and he founded the Vienna Secession， a group of painters who revolted against academic art in favour of a highly decorative style similar to Art Nouveau.

克里姆特很小就顯露出藝術天賦，14歲便離開普通學校，憑借全額獎學金進入維也納工藝美術學院學習。1883年畢業后，他開設了獨立工作室，專注壁畫創作。他的早期作品秉承典型的19世紀末學院派繪畫所具有的那種古典風格。1897年，克里姆特的創作風格日臻成熟，他創立了維也納分離派，該派畫家反對學院派藝術，追求類似新藝術運動所倡導的高度裝飾性風格。

In January 1918， Gustav Klimt suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. He was subsequently hospitalized， and while there contracted pneumonia， of which he died on February 6， 1918.

1918年1月，古斯塔夫·克里姆特罹患中風，導致身體部分癱瘓。隨后他住院治療，其間感染了肺炎，于1918年2月6日去世。

The Kiss is Klimt’s most popular work and visitors flock annually to see it in Vienna’s Austrian Gallery. At a remarkable 72 in × 72 in （180 cm × 180 cm）， its powerful presence resounds from the wall as the life-size figures， wrapped in gold， embrace.

《吻》是克里姆特最受歡迎的作品，每年都有大批游客為一睹該畫而前往維也納的奧地利美術館。該畫尺幅巨大，長寬均為72英寸（180厘米），懸掛壁上，畫中相擁的二人有真人大小，被黃金包裹，觀者會感受到一股強大的沖擊力撲面而來。

In 1903， Klimt traveled twice to Ravenna， where he saw the mosaics of San Vitale， whose Byzantine influence was apparent in the paintings of what would become known as his “Golden Period”. The use of gold harked back to Klimt’s own past， to the metal work of his father and younger brother Ernst， who had both died a decade earlier. Klimt’s interest in the Byzantine period also symbolized a move towards greater stability， through static， inorganic forms; suggesting a search for refuge after the artist’s exploration of the instinctual powers of archaic Greece. The Kiss representing the apex of his “Golden Period，” this concludes similar thematic studies during his career. Each work aids final comprehension of the allegory， which represents the mystical union of spiritual and erotic love and the merging of the individual with the eternal cosmos.

1903年，克里姆特兩次游歷意大利拉韋納，在那里看到了圣維塔萊教堂的馬賽克壁畫，他后來被人稱為“黃金時期”的繪畫作品明顯受到這種拜占庭風格的影響。采用黃金作畫讓人想起克里姆特的家庭出身，想起他父親和弟弟恩斯特的金匠手藝——他們二人都在十年前就過世了。克里姆特對拜占庭時期的興趣也象征他開始以靜態、無機的表現形式追求更強的穩定，意味著他在探索了古希臘的本能力量后開始尋求庇護。《吻》是其“黃金時期”的巔峰之作，集其職業生涯類似主題繪畫之大成。這些作品每一件都有助于對寓言的終極理解，那個寓言代表精神與情愛的神秘結合，以及個人與永恒宇宙的合二為一。

The dominant male force is signified by the powerful coat of masculine black and gray blocks， softened by the feminine organic scrolling， reminiscent of The Tree of Life. In comparison， female energy is shown as spinning circles of bright floral motifs and upward-flowing wavy lines. From these vestments of artistic creation golden rain blesses the fertile earth， similar to the descending roses in The Beethoven Frieze. The triangular fronds also recall water imagery from paintings such as Water Serpents. Here， Klimt’s loosening of naturalism， in favor of a personal symbolic language suggesting the workings of unconscious mind， in particular its erotic urge， reached a climax. Through two figures， depicted not naked， but draped in densely patterned cloths， Klimt succeeded in evoking a moment of intense sensual pleasure， within a sharply stylized and flattened composition.

占主導地位的男性力量表現為醒目的外套，外套由陽剛的黑色和灰色色塊組成，陰柔的自然形態的卷軸形裝飾起到了軟化作用，讓人想起《生命之樹》。與之相比，女性能量表現為明亮花朵圖案組成的渦卷和垂直波動的條紋。金雨從藝術化呈現的衣袍上灑落，滋養肥沃的土壤，類似《貝多芬飾帶》中飄落的玫瑰。三角葉片還讓人想起《水蛇》等畫作中水的意象。此畫中，克里姆特對自然主義的疏離達到了頂點，偏向采用個人的象征性語言，暗示潛意識（特別是性愛沖動）的運轉。畫中二人并非裸體，而都身披圖案密集的衣袍——在風格化和扁平化都很鮮明的構圖中，克里姆特通過這兩個人物成功喚起了觀者一瞬間強烈的感官快感。

When re-assessing The Kiss for Klimt’s 150th birthday， journalist Adrian Brijbassi wrote， “The Kiss by Gustav Klimt surpasses expectations，” unlike that tiny and underwhelming Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. After throwing shade on the more famous painting， Brijbassi explained， “[The Kiss] does what a great piece of art is supposed to do： Hold your gaze， make you admire its aesthetic qualities while trying to discern what’s beyond its superficial aspects.”

在慶祝克里姆特誕辰150周年時，記者艾德里安·博瑞巴西再次對《吻》作出評價。他表示，“古斯塔夫·克里姆特的《吻》超越了人們的期待”，它與萊昂納多·達·芬奇小尺幅、低反響的《蒙娜麗莎》不同。在對那幅名氣更大的作品給出相對消極的評價后，博瑞巴西解釋說：“（《吻》）做到了藝術佳作該做的事，即吸引觀者去看，讓觀者在欣賞作品外在美學特質的同時，嘗試探究其內在的東西。”