Building upon Klimt's Tree of Life mural for the “Stoclet Palace” in Brussels, Belgium, Klimt gave different titles to these three works. The entire mural begins with Expectation on the left, featuring a standing woman gazing sideways, moves through the central Tree of Life, and ends with the two embracing figures on the right.
Lovers is the right half of the mural series, which Klimt titled Fulfillment. This piece, featuring two people embracing, was created earlier than the more famous Kiss and reinterprets the embracing figures from Klimt's Detail of The Beethoven Frieze, which he created as president of the 14th Vienna Secession Exhibition.
Klimt's three famous embracing couples, in chronological order, are: 1902’s Yearning for Happiness from Detail of The Beethoven Frieze, followed by Fulfillment from the right half of Tree of Life, and finally, The Kiss.
The compositions of these three embracing couples are very similar. The male figure bends forward with his back to the viewer, while only the female face is clearly visible, set against Klimt’s signature gold leaf background.
In this artwork Fulfillment, Klimt used extensive gold leaf, which not only adds opulence to the piece but also symbolizes the sanctity of life. The male figure is adorned with square patterns, while the female figure features circular ones, indirectly conveying Klimt's view of different masculine and feminine qualities. The overlapping of these patterns symbolizes unity and fulfillment between people, creating new life. This theme echoes Klimt's Tree of Life series, where he reinterprets the ancient mythological symbols with his artistic mastery. Through his brushwork, he tells a beautiful story of life and death, transcendence beyond death, fearlessness in the face of darkness, and a golden warmth filled with hope.
