The Kiss (Rodin)

Auguste Rodin's 'The Kiss' (1882) immortalises the illicit embrace of Paolo Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini from Dante's 'Inferno' — the lovers who are swept together, still kissing, through the second circle of Hell. Initially conceived as a figure for the monumental 'Gates of Hell', Rodin extracted and enlarged the couple as an independent subject; the tender way Francesca's hand curls at the nape of Paolo's neck became an icon of erotic sculpture. Several marble and bronze editions exist, including the most famous versions at the Musée Rodin in Paris and the Tate in London.

Exhibition Venue

Museo Soumaya

Mexico City, Mexico