February 1, 2026

Good Morning! Today is February 1, the first day of the 2026 Art of Love countdown to February 14, Valentine's Day! I hope you're doing well and are ready for a little L O V E! Since we've been doing this for a few years now, the choices have been getting more challenging. There are only so many Fragonards, Rodins, Claudels....But that makes the search and, I hope, the results a little more interesting. So...here we go again..with Kissing Students, by Rein Raud, 1948....

Kissing Students is a sculpture fountain in Tartu, Estonia, proud Home of Tartu University (est. 1632). Erected in the town square in 1948, the statue captures a spontaneous moment of young love. It’s a popular student meeting spot. The bronze lends the figures a timeless, elegant quality. Compare to the common focus of a European square, a martial figure on a horse? “Ah, love, let us be true to one another….”
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