It’s February and in art our thoughts go to images of heart shapes, lovers embracing and the color red. For this love-inspired article, I collected a few excerpts from articles and exhibitions from the Manhattan Arts International website and The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS website that express the theme of love and passion in art and the red hue.
I hope you enjoy this selection of art and quotes filled with joie de vivre!
The Kiss in Art
Expressions of love and romance have inspired artists and poets for centuries to the delight of art enthusiasts. A popular image pursued by artists is the kiss between two lovers. Such an image evokes a treasure trove of symbolic messages of love, life, intimacy, and eroticism.
Two of my favorite works of art that express the kiss are Gustav Klimt’s painting “The Kiss” (shown here) and Auguste Rodin’s sculpture , also titled “The Kiss”, (shown below).
As you might expect there are fascinating facts associated with the most widely recognized works of art and the artists who created them. The kiss in art tells not only the tales of love but also reveals a lot about the artist’s life and source of inspiration. View this article on the Manhattan Arts International website.
Famous Artists’ Quotes About Love
“The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live.” ~ Auguste Rodin
“Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing. If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.” ~ Marc Chagall
“It is a matter of loving art, not understanding it.” ~ Fernand Leger
“Poetry and painting are done in the same way you make love; it’s an exchange of blood, a total embrace – without caution, without any thought of protecting yourself.” ~ Joan Miro
“People should fall in love with their eyes closed.” ~ Andy Warhol
“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.” ~ Vincent van Gogh. He also said, “I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart.”
“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.” ~ Charles M. Schulz
“Art About Love, Peace Harmony and Unity” by Artist Members
If you want to be inspired and uplifted, you’ll love this exhibition that came about when I asked artist members of The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS website to share a work of art and statement on the theme of Love, Peace Harmony and Unity.
One of the most memorable images from this presentation is this sculpture by Denisa Prochazka titled. “Metamorphosis”, clay, 60″ x 42″ x 8″. She wrote, “It takes pulse as the transformation of being takes place, capturing a moment of profound change. Through a tidal flow of motion, Metamorphosis carves a path from reality to the world of dreams and offers a bold new vision of magical connotations that relate to the inner psychological ‘transformation of being’, powerful and erotic, sensual and divine, forceful and yielding.” View the presentation: Art About Love, Peace, Harmony and Unity.
A Healing Touch of Red
Red is the color associated with the heart and passion. Artists astute in color theory know when red is used in relationship and combination with other colors and with consideration to subject matter, it can also have a very pleasing and powerful impact.
For this presentation, “A Healing Touch of Red”, members of The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS were invited to share their art with red and to share statements about their feelings about the hue and the meaning it has for them.
One of my favorite works of art from this online exhibition is “Trio Orca Passing Trial Island Lighthouse Red Morning, acrylic, 18″ x 24” by Peter N. Van Giesen. He wrote, “For some viewers a red morning sky carries the thought a coming storm yet I was captured by its dramatic beauty as a trio of Orca carried on with their lives in the deep ocean of life.”
“Love, Peace, Unity & Hope” 2025 exhibition presented by Manhattan Arts International
The love quotes are so centering. Thank you for posting them.
Wonderful, essence of ‘love’ article Renee! Blessed me with warmth deep inside… Happy Valentines Day from my heart to yours…🥰