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In works of art, literature, and narrative, a symbol is a concrete element like an object, character, image, situation, or action that suggests or hints at abstract, deeper, or non-literal meanings or ideas. [1] [2] The use of symbols artistically is symbolism. In literature, such as novels, plays, and poems, symbolism goes beyond just the ...
The Nightmare (1781), by Johann Heinrich Füssli, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit. Symbolism, understood as a means of expression of the "symbol", that is, of a type of content, whether written, sonorous or plastic, whose purpose is to transcend matter to signify a superior order of intangible elements, has always existed in art as a human manifestation, one of whose qualities has always ...
The symbolist painters used mythological and dream imagery. The symbols used by symbolism are not the familiar emblems of mainstream iconography but intensely personal, private, obscure and ambiguous references. More a philosophy than an actual style of art, symbolism in painting influenced the contemporary Art Nouveau style and Les Nabis. [14]
Religious symbol, an iconic representation of a religion or religious concept Buddhist symbolism, the use of Buddhist art to represent certain aspects of dharma; Christian symbolism, the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork or events, by Christianity; Symbols of Islam, the use of symbols in Islamic literature, art and architecture
It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional Christian symbolism. [2] The word 'quatrefoil' means "four leaves", from the Latin quattuor , "four", plus folium , "leaf"; [ 3 ] the term refers specifically to a four-leafed clover , but applies in general to four-lobed shapes in various contexts.
[1] [2] Chinese symbols often have auspicious meanings associated to them, such as good fortune, happiness, and also represent what would be considered as human virtues, such as filial piety, loyalty, and wisdom, [1] and can even convey the desires or wishes of the Chinese people to experience the good things in life. [2]
Symbols are complex, and their meanings can evolve as the individual or culture evolves. When a symbol loses its meaning and power for an individual or culture, it becomes a dead symbol. When a symbol becomes identified with the deeper reality to which it refers, it becomes idolatrous as the "symbol is taken for reality."
Color symbolism in art, literature, and anthropology is the use of color as a symbol in various cultures and in storytelling. There is great diversity in the use of colors and their associations between cultures [ 1 ] and even within the same culture in different time periods. [ 2 ]