Gustav Klimt completed The Kiss in 1908, and it has been on walls — reproduced on posters, printed on tote bags, rendered in every medium imaginable — ever since. The original, held in Vienna's Belvedere Museum, is covered in genuine gold leaf. No reproduction fully captures that, but Pomegranate's 1,000-piece version comes closer than most — the warm, saturated golds of the robe and the garden of flowers below the figures are reproduced from a museum-quality scan rather than a photographic copy.
The painting is a genuinely challenging puzzle subject. Klimt's decorative style — the swirling patterns on the robes, the field of flowers below, the absence of conventional depth or background — means sorting by colour takes you only so far. You are also sorting by pattern: which pieces have spiral motifs, which have rectangular blocks, which carry the floral elements of the lower composition.
How it assembles
Start with the figures themselves — the faces and hands are the most distinct elements and provide clear anchors. The robes are where the challenge lives: the geometric patterns on the man's robe differ from the circular motifs on the woman's, which gives you two distinct decorative vocabularies to sort between. The flower field below is dense and varied, easier than it looks because the individual blooms are quite distinct at puzzle scale.
This is a puzzle for someone who enjoys a challenge and is comfortable spending time in the difficult middle sections. The finished result is worth it — The Kiss at 48 x 68 cm is a striking framed piece.
As a gift
A confident gift for anyone with an interest in art nouveau, decorative arts, or Klimt specifically. Also works for anyone who simply wants a puzzle that looks extraordinary on a wall when finished. At $34.99.