Originally published on Culture Tourist on 11 February 2022 / Updated on 13 February 2026
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I’ve curated a list of the ten most beautiful artworks centred on the theme of love. Love has been a beloved topic in art history for centuries, serving as a primary muse to painters and sculptors. From the subtle electricity of a shared gaze to the passionate kiss, these works prove that love remains art’s most enduring inspiration.
A Brief History of Love in Art
Love has been a common topic in art since Classical Antiquity, with some of the earliest depictions featuring the legendary couples of Greek and Roman mythology. During the Middle Ages, romantic love took a backseat to religious devotion, but it made a triumphant return during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Some of my personal favourite “love stories” come from the Dutch Golden Age art. Despite being created in the 17th century, the approach to romance was often surprisingly liberal. A perfect example is Johannes Vermeer‘s The Love Letter. In it, a woman is clearly reading a letter from her lover, and we can see that by the judgemental look from her maid.
As we moved into the 19th century, Romanticism and Impressionism brought us some of the most genuine, emotional representations of intimacy. By the 20th century, the definition of love in art expanded even further, becoming more inclusive, free, and diverse.
⤷ Read more: 15 Best Museums in Europe You Have to Visit This Year
10 Masterpieces Exploring the Theme of Love
1/ Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec: Au lit: Le baiser
⤷ Where is it? Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Painted in 1892, this oil-on-cardboard work captures the raw intimacy of the Parisian nightlife Toulouse-Lautrec knew so well. As a frequent guest of the city’s brothels, he was commissioned to create several paintings for their interiors. This painting is a part of a series of artworks that are considered showing lesbian couples. He presented them lying in bed or in very intimate encounters.
⤷ Read more: Impressionist paintings at Musée d’Orsay
2/ Auguste Rodin: The Kiss
⤷ Where is it? Musée Rodin, Paris
Perhaps the most famous sculpture of love, Rodin’s 1882 masterpiece was originally intended for his monumental project, The Gates of Hell. It depicted the tragic lovers Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta from Dante’s Inferno. While the figures are doomed, the sculpture itself exudes a timeless, tactile passion. You can find bronze and marble versions of this work in Paris, Copenhagen, and Mexico City.
3/ René Magritte: The Lovers
⤷ Where is it? MoMA, New York
The Surrealist master René Magritte created this iconic image of love in 1928. Magritte’s idea was to recreate the cinematic close-up kiss and hide this intimate moment by putting a vail over the couple. This painting is his typical artwork, only with a romantic twist.
⤷ Read more: MoMA Highlights
4/ Frans Hals: Marriage Portrait of Isaac Massa and Beatrix van der Laen
⤷ Where is it? Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
In 17-century the Netherlands, the wealthy middle class enjoyed a level of social freedom rare for the time. This 1622 portrait by Frans Hals captures a couple who clearly married for love rather than just status. Their relaxed poses and genuine smiles break the stiff conventions of traditional wedding portraits, showing a partnership of true affection.
⤷ Watch: Highlights of the Rijksmuseum
5/ Banksy: Kissing Coppers
⤷ Where is it? Prince Albert Pub, Brighton (original sold, replica on-site)
Banksy’s 2004 stencil graffiti Kissing Coppers is a landmark of contemporary urban art. By depicting two British policemen in an embrace kissing, Banksy challenged social stereotypes and promoted LGBTQ+ visibility in a very public space. Though the original mural was removed and sold to a private collector to protect it from vandalism, a replica still marks its original home in the Prince Albert Pub in Brighton.
6/ Constantin Brâncuși: The Kiss
⤷ Where is it? Craiova Art Museum, Oltenia
It is beautifully poetic that one of the first truly modern sculptures of the 20th century is dedicated to love. Created between 1907 and 1908, Brâncuși’s The Kiss is a proto-Cubist work that simplifies the human form into a singular, geometric block. It suggests that in love, two people truly become one.
7/ Kitagawa Utamaro: Lovers in the Upstairs Room of a Teahouse
⤷ Where is it? British Museum, London
Kitagawa Utamaro is one of the most famous Japanese artists of ukiyo-e woodblock prints and paintings. While erotic art (shunga) was common in 18th-century Japan, Utamaro’s work stands out for its extreme sensuality. Even without seeing the lover’s faces, the composition of their kimonos and the closeness of their bodies convey an intense, shared passion.
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8/ Peter Paul Rubens: The Honeysuckle Bower
⤷ Where is it? Alte Pinakothek, Munich
In this 1609 self-portrait, Rubens sits with his first wife, Isabella Brant. They are surrounded by honeysuckle – a traditional symbol of love and fidelity. The way they lean toward one another and gently hold hands makes this one of the most tender and sincere marriage portraits in the Baroque art.
⤷ Read more: 10 Must-visit Art and Culture Sites in Munich
9/ Roy Lichtenstein: The Kiss II
⤷ Where is it? Private collection
Pop Art icon Roy Lichtenstein took the “drama” of love from the pages of comic books and turned it into high art. In The Kiss II (1962), he uses his signature Ben-Day dots and bold lines to capture a highly stylised, cinematic moment of passion, blending commercial imagery with deep human emotion.
10/ Gustav Klimt: The Kiss
⤷ Where is it? Upper Belvedere, Vienna
No list of love in art is complete without Klimt’s “Golden Period” masterpiece. Painted around 1907, it shows a couple standing at the edge of a meadow filled with flowers in front of the golden background. The couple is kissing, which was something quite common in Klimt’s work with his focus on love and intimacy. Besides that, the flatness and usage of ornaments make this painting so unique. The man’s robe is covered with geometric ornaments, while the woman’s dress is filled with circular forms. The flower meadow feels more like a texture made of floral arrangements than a part of nature.
⤷ Read more: Gustav Klimt – The Kiss
Art history offers an endless gallery of how we love, whom we love, and why we love. I hope this selection of the most beautiful paintings of love in art history reminds you of the beauty and connection that Valentine’s Day is all about.
What’s your favourite artwork with the theme of love in art? Let me know in the comments.
Image sources: Wikipedia Public Domain