Behind them, vertical tree trunks rise through a field of green. Light breaks through the canopy in patches, turning parts of the background into a soft, mottled glow. The palette stays warm on the bodies—peach, pink, and amber—then cools into greens and deep shadows around them.

The material choices are tactile. The sunny areas on skin, foliage or grass read as lifted, almost chalk-bright. That brightness comes from the white underpainting employed for this: it pushes the pastel forward against the black ground, so highlights don’t just “sit on top”, they flare. The effect is especially strong along shoulders, arms, and the lit edge of the torso, where the white base makes the color look sun-struck.

The composition keeps the kiss central, but the title widens the meaning: the men don’t only stand in sunlight—they seem to collect it, turning a private gesture into a bright surface.