Symbolism in Art
Artists have long used symbols to convey a message, an idea, an emotion, a story etc with their creations. The message behind a painting is not always obvious to all who view it, especially if it’s a very old masterpiece that was created with symbols that may very well have been easily understood by people from the past but not by the younger generations of today. Sometimes the meaning behind a work of art is confused if not totally lost depending on the cultural orientation of the person looking at it.
Color symbolism for one has changed over time. Culture is also a factor in how color symbolism is interpreted. Animal symbols are also seen differently by different people. Art can be interpreted in any way we choose to. That is the beauty in it. It can be anything we want it to be, but for people who are fascinated with it for all the stories it represents, the key to understanding any particular art piece would be to learn about the artist, the period in history when it was created, the cultural setting and the meaning of the art symbols at the time.
Apple
The apple is a popular subject in many works of art, both classical and modern. In the Christian tradition, it is often depicted as the fruit of the forbidden tree which Adam and Eve ate after being tempted by the serpent. For today’s technology-driven generation however the apple symbolizes a totally different proposition.
Lotus Flower
Without knowing what the lotus flower means in Hinduism, any artistic depiction of the Goddess Lakshmi will not have any deep significance to anyone looking at it. The lotus flower symbolizes how wise and truly enlightened Lakshmi is, remaining pure and unspoilt despite being the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, just like the lotus flower which remains beautiful and untouched by the murky waters from which it emerged.
The Color Blue
Why do artists almost always portray the Virgin Mary wearing blue? The color blue traditionally symbolizes truth and clarity, apart from being the color of the sky which symbolizes heaven, where she belongs being the Mother of God.
Lion
Lions are symbolic of monarchs in the Hebrew Bible and throughout the Ancient Near East. The painting tells of the story of Daniel who was thrown into the lions’ den for continuing to pray to his God YHVH despite King Darius’ decree that for 30 days no one was to pray to any god or man except to him. The next day Daniel emerged unharmed. The lions here represent the empires and nations of the world, surrounding Israel.
The Triangle
Religious symbolism looks at the triangle as the trinity. In pagan symbolism a triangle pointing upwards represents a sword or fire (masculinity), while a triangle pointing downwards represents the chalice or water (femininity).
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Symbols in The News
Interpret this Symbol
AAC
African
AI
Alchemy
Alphabets
Ancient
Animal Symbolism
Architecture
Art
Articles
Astrology
Baha'i
Blissymbolics
Blueprint Symbols
Buddhist
Celtic Symbols
Cemetery
Chinese Symbols
Christian
Circle
City
Codes
Color
Conlangs
Crop Circles
Danger
Da Vinci Code
Designing Logos
Dictionaries
Dreams
Education
Egyptian Symbols
Electrical
Emoticons
Find Images
Fonts
Food
Fraternity
Hamsa
Healing
Heraldry
Hermetic
Highway Signs
Hindu
History
Hobo
Holiday
Icons
iConji
Islamic
Jain Symbols
Japanese, Kanji
Jewish
Justice
Law
Literary Symbolism
Mandalas
Map
Masonic
Math, Number
Meaning of Names
Medical
Middle East
Military
Miscellaneous
Money
Music
Mythology
Native American
Playing Cards
Power
Psychology
QiQiiKhu
Reiki
Religious
Runes, Norse
Sacred Geometry
Scientific
Science Fiction
Sorority
Sports
Symbols in the News
Tattoos
ThirteenSymbols
Tree of Life
Ursprache
Videos
Visual Languages
Weather
Web Codes
Wicca
Words
Writing Systems
Braille
Coinherence
Coptic
Cuneiform
Easter Island
Etruscan
Happy Human
Hebrew
Kokopelli
Linear B
Lotus
Love Symbols
Mandorla
Moon Alphabet
Nine Pointed Star
Om
Oz
Phonetic
Scarab Beetle
Silent
Theosophy
Unifon