Which two lovers are portrayed in Auguste Rodin’s sculpture The Kiss?

Auguste Rodin’s sculpture The Kiss portrays Paolo and Francesca.

The subject comes from Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, in which Francesca da Rimini recounts her adulterous love for Paolo Malatesta. The pair were relatives by marriage, and Francesca says that reading about the romance of Lancelot and Guinevere led them to kiss. Their relationship was discovered, and both lovers were killed.

Rodin originally titled the sculpture Francesca da Rimini, but its later title, The Kiss, emphasizes the moment of intimacy rather than the entire tragic story. The work was first conceived for The Gates of Hell before becoming an independent composition.

Because the figures are shown before the fatal moment, viewers sometimes identify them as another famous literary couple. Rodin’s intended subject is specifically Paolo and Francesca from Dante’s poem.