# LEGO's $299 'The Kiss' Is the Biggest Art Set Yet, and Fans Don't Quite Know What to Make of It

**Source:** https://glitchwire.com/news/legos-299-the-kiss-is-the-biggest-art-set-yet-and-fans-dont-quite-know-what-to-m/  
**Published:** 2026-07-16T18:32:52.520Z  
**Author:** Tech Desk · Glitchwire  
**Categories:** Gadgets, Culture

## Summary

The Danish toymaker's 4,000-piece tribute to Gustav Klimt's most famous work arrives in August, the latest in a series of brick-built masterpieces that now includes Monet and da Vinci.

## Article

LEGO has officially revealed its next fine art collaboration: a 4,000-piece brick-built recreation of Gustav Klimt's *The Kiss*, priced at [$299.99](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/gustav-klimt-the-kiss-31221). The set launches on August 1 for LEGO Insiders members and becomes widely available on August 4.

It is the largest LEGO Art masterpiece set released to date, eclipsing the previous high of 3,179 pieces for Claude Monet's *Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies*, which sold for $249.99. The price tag also sets a new ceiling for the Art line, which has typically ranged from $99 for the Mona Lisa to $249 for the Monet.

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

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*Image Credit: Lego*

## A Museum Partnership

The set was developed in partnership with the [Belvedere Museum](https://www.belvedere.at/en/kiss-gustav-klimt) in Vienna, where the original 1907-08 oil painting has resided since the Austrian state purchased it directly from an exhibition in 1908. Klimt painted the work during what scholars call his "Golden Period," a phase defined by his technique of combining gold leaf with oils and bronze paint.

The original canvas measures 180 by 180 centimeters. The LEGO version recreates a cropped section, measuring approximately 60 centimeters high and 54 centimeters wide, with the design relying on golden metallic bricks, specially decorated circular pieces, spirals, and floral elements to capture Klimt's distinctive ornamentation.

"Recreating Klimt's *The Kiss* in LEGO bricks was a unique creative challenge," Milan Madge, LEGO's Master Model Designer, said in the company's press release. The set also incorporates Klimt's signature, reproduced on a printed tile.

Stephanie Auer, Curator of 19th- and 20th-Century Art at the Belvedere, described the collaboration as "a once-in-a-lifetime experience," noting that extensive discussions covered Klimt's symbolism, ornamentation, and artistic techniques. LEGO is releasing an accompanying podcast featuring Madge and Auer on Spotify and YouTube starting August 1.

## Fan Reactions Are Mixed

Online response has been divided. In comment sections across LEGO fan communities, some users praised the execution, calling it "possibly one of the best Art sets yet." Others balked at the price, with one commenter noting that "for that money you can also get the actual painting" in reproduction form.

A recurring complaint: the heavy use of dark tan and yellow bricks rather than metallic gold elements throughout the background, which some fans argue dilutes the gilded effect that defines the original work. Several American commenters admitted they had never heard of [the painting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kiss_(Klimt)) before the announcement, prompting mild ribbing from European observers who pointed out that Klimt is the defining figure of the Vienna Secession movement.

Whether the set succeeds as art or as a building experience depends on your entry point. LEGO's Art line has shifted over the years from pop-culture subjects like superheroes and famous musicians toward fine art recreations. The company now counts the Mona Lisa, Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Hokusai's *The Great Wave*, and Monet's water lilies among its catalog. *The Kiss* continues that trajectory while pushing the price higher than any previous entry.

### What's in the Box

Beyond the bricks, the set includes a dedicated podcast accessible via QR code, 3D building instructions through the [LEGO Builder app](/news/openai-ships-its-first-hardware-the-230-codex-micro-macro-pad/), and a hanging mechanism for wall display. Like other sets in the Art lineup, it carries an 18+ age rating, reflecting both its complexity and its target audience of adult collectors.

The set will be available exclusively through [LEGO.com](/news/the-invisible-ai-tax-how-the-global-memory-crisis-is-forcing-apple-and-everyone/), LEGO Stores, and select retail partners. It will not hit general retail shelves. International pricing is £269.99 in the UK and €299.99 in the eurozone.

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