'The Kiss' by Auguste Rodin

This marble sculpture is Rodin's second version of his masterpiece, completed in 1904. It depicts the adulterous lovers, Paolo Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini, who appear as characters in Dante's 'The Divine Comedy'. The couple's passion grew as they read together the story of Lancelot and Guinevere but they were discovered and murdered by Francesca's outraged husband, Paolo's older brother, Giancotto.