The Kiss

Auguste Rodin sculpted this embrace between Paolo and Francesca, adulterous lovers from Dante's Inferno. The two figures merge into one flowing form, their bodies turning toward each other in a moment of passionate surrender. Their lips don't quite touch, capturing the instant before the fatal kiss.

Originally part of the Gates of Hell, Rodin removed the group because its sensuality seemed too cheerful for the damned. The smooth, polished marble creates an idealized vision of love that proved enormously popular. Rodin made several versions in different sizes and materials.

The original marble stands at the Musée Rodin in Paris.