El Beso

This sculpture is the final work with which Flaviano Palacio concludes his studies in sculpture -1973-, guided by the masters Gustavo López and Alonso Ríos, at the former Institute of Fine Arts, now the Department of Visual Arts of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Antioquia. The piece, cast in cement, is inspired by the love, beauty, and anatomical sensuality of the human body –both female and male-. The realism of the representation symbolizes the feelings and passions of two human beings who, lost in their own world, embrace in a passionate kiss. Some consulted sources refer to influences from Auguste Rodin (1840 – 1917) due to its formal closeness to the work The Kiss (1886), to which the author responds without hesitation, “No! I only got to know it when I traveled to Europe, after creating my sculpture.” (Armando Montoya).