Researchers from the University of South Korea have analyzed this iconic work from a medical and artistic perspective, concluding that Klimt incorporated scientific knowledge of his time to give a new meaning to his painting, as published in the ‘Journal of Korean Medical Science’ as a follow-up to a previous study by the team, published in the ‘Journal of the American Medical Association’ (JAMA) in 2021, which explored the symbolism of human development in ‘The Kiss’.
That study concluded that the patterns and motifs of the figures’ clothing metaphorically represent sperm, eggs, and fertilization.
Now, as deduced in the new work, the red discs present in ‘The Kiss’ could represent red blood cells and symbolize biological processes such as blood circulation and fertility. The arrangement of these elements on the canvas seems to be strategically designed to evoke the vital pulse and the creation of life, reinforcing the close relationship between art and science.
And what’s more. These «red blood cells» are what breathe life into the work. To examine the impact of these red blood cell-like shapes, the research team created a modified version of ‘The Kiss’, titled ‘Kiss, RBC Knockout Kiss’, in which the red discs were removed.
Next, they surveyed 300 visitors at the Ulsan International Art Fair (UiAF) in 2022, presenting both the original and the modified version.
Viewers described the original painting with words like intensity, splendor, vitality, beauty, and young love, while the modified version evoked impressions of monotony, stillness, and lack of life.
RED BLOOD CELLS
Professor Im Joo Rhyu, director of the Graduate Program in Convergence and Translational Biomedicine at the University of South Korea and member of the Department of Anatomy, wanted to study the medical and artistic significance of the red blood cell shapes in the painting.
In collaboration with professors Hyunmi Park, Dae Hyun Kim, and Hwamin Lee from the School of Medicine at the University of South Korea (KUCM), and master’s student Daeun Kwak from Sungkyunkwan University, the research team delved into the medical literature of Klimt’s turn-of-the-century era (late 19th and early 20th centuries) to discover why these striking red discs appeared in the artist’s most iconic work.
A close examination of ‘The Kiss’ reveals clusters of red disc-shaped forms on the woman’s chest and knees, shapes that, to a medical eye, astonishingly resemble red blood cells.
These elements infuse vitality into the painting, intertwining the biological function of red blood cells with the psychological intensity of the color red. The study suggests that the lovers’ garments tell a three-day cycle of life creation, enriched with physiological symbolism.
A key historical link is Karl Landsteiner, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who discovered the ABO blood group system. His groundbreaking article in 1901 was published in the Austrian medical journal ‘Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift’, on whose editorial board was Professor Emil Zuckerkandl, a close friend of Klimt.
In 1903, at Klimt’s request, Zuckerkandl gave a lecture on anatomy for artists, influencing the evolution of Klimt’s artistic approach (Dissecting Klimt, Im Joo Rhyu, 2024). Additionally, it is known that Klimt owned a widely circulated German encyclopedia, the Meyers Grobes Konversations-Lexikon, which featured color illustrations of blood cells, suggesting that these images may have influenced his work.
To reinforce this interpretation, the woman’s arms in ‘The Kiss’ are shaped like a heart. The red discs on her chest are strategically placed near this symbolic heart, evoking the rhythmic pulse of life coursing through her body and the new life she carries within.
Furthermore, the red discs on her knees seem to represent menstrual blood, a subtle yet powerful emblem of fertility and reproductive vitality. This suggests that Klimt deliberately incorporated menstruation as an intrinsic element of human development, elevating it to a central motif in his visual narrative.
«‘The Kiss’ by Klimt is a masterpiece that not only captures the ecstasy of love but also seamlessly intertwines art and medicine,» notes Professor Rhyu. «By transforming the scientific knowledge of his time into an artistic metaphor, Klimt created a work that continues to captivate audiences. The fusion of science and culture remains not only relevant but essential in shaping our understanding of both art and the human experience.»
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FUENTE