Where one can kiss their loved ones - The Gate of the Kiss

You may think there are many perfect places where one can kiss their loved ones. Some believe that one of them is the Gate Of the Kiss, a masterpiece of Romania’s greatest sculptor - Constantin Brâncuși. Along with The Table of Silence and the Infinity Column, it is a part of the sculptural ensemble in the city of Târgul Jiu in southwestern Romania, created as a tribute to the heroes of The First World War.

The Gate Of the Kiss

The Gate of the Kiss (Poarta Sărutului)

Calea Eroilor, Târgu Jiu 210007, Romania

The Gate of the Kiss was created as an arch of triumph and is placed between the other two sculptures, built together within this ensemble. The gate was made of travertine and is 513 cm high, 545 cm long and the pillars sustaining the architrave have the width of 169 cm. The pillars are decorated with a circular motif, two half-circles separated by a decorative line that runs to the ground level. This motif is present on each side of the pillars. Some art critics have interpreted this motif as the eyes looking inside the gate, while other voices see a couple kissing in it.

There are many interpretations of this artwork. Some voices see the triumph of life over death in this sculpture, while others understand this piece as a symbol of the transition to another life or eternal love that defies death. But one thing is sure - the presence of the funeral monument leitmotif.

I recently read a new legend about this work of art. When passing through this gate with someone on your side, not kissing that person will bring you bad luck. Personally, I find this artwork very interesting and the greatest sculpture of Constantin Brâncuși.

The Table of Silence

The Table of Silence (Masa tăcerii)

Calea Eroilor, Târgu Jiu 210007, Romania

The Table of Silence or the Dacian Table is consists of a table and twelve chairs, all made of limestone. The table is made as a cylinder (43 cm in diameter), placed on the narrower one. The chairs that take the form of an hourglass are 55 cm high. The form of the chairs leads people to think of the passing of time and see the sculpture itself as a place for the soldiers to meet, before going into a battle against their enemies.

Infinity Column

Infinity Column (Coloana infinitului)

Calea Eroilor, Târgu Jiu 210002, Romania

This piece of art is surely one of the best-known Romanian sculptures. It is almost 30-meter-high and is formed of 15 octahedra, creating what the artist himself called a “bunch of beadwork”. Brâncuși described this sculpture as a work that shows “the endless gratitude” towards the hero soldiers that lost their lives in the battle. It wasn’t the first time that Constantin Brâncuși selected the octahedra for his artworks. A similar sculpture was created in 1918 and is kept in MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York.

This sculptural ensemble is definitely a place where symbolism and history have found a way to coexist harmoniously. The Gate of the Kiss is surely a place where one can kiss their loved ones!