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Are you interested in art? Have you explored its history and symbolism?
Art symbolism is a fascinating thing to discover. And, there are so many symbols that change depending on the cultural and historical context of the artists.
Let’s go through some popular art symbolism meanings to get you started in your journey into the world of art.
In This Post:
Animals in Art Around The World
Different types of animals are heavily used in different types of art. For example, African art uses a ton of different animals in some types of tribal art. How an animal is represented usually varies between culture, artist, and context.
Dogs can be used to symbolize faithfulness in one piece of art, and anger in the next. Birds have also been used as different symbols throughout time. Parrots and peacocks were often used to denote Christianity during the Renaissance period.
These are just some of the many diverse ways that animals have been used as symbols in different types of art. There are so many out there for you to explore and learn about!
Using Flowers as Art Symbolism
Artists love a floral motif, and flowers that are used in different types of art are often used in diverse ways. For example, poppies in art are usually used as a symbol of death, while violets symbolize humility and chastity.
Many of these uses are based on floriography, the language of flowers, but others are based on the artists’ interpretation of the flowers themselves.
That’s why its important to do your research and find out the cultural and historical context of each artist, to find out where they were coming from with their use of different symbols such as flowers.
The World of Color in Art
Color is something that is used with different intentions in different types of art. Red is often used to represent anger, rage, and lust in Western-centric art, while orange often represents materialism.
What each color symbolizes in different pieces of art is also dependent on what shade each color is. Darker and lighter shades can symbolize very different things, so it’s important to keep the shades in mind!
Boats as an Artistic Symbol
Artists tend to really like to include boats in their work. Different types of boats have featured in art from the beginning of, well, art. Ships, generally, symbolize wealth and capitalism.
A boat can symbolize various religious figures, or the church itself. Sailboats, on the other hand, usually represent travelling or a journey. These two types of meanings can also be combined into a spiritual journey, rather than a physical journey around the earth.
Art Symbolism Can Help You Understand the World Around You
These are just a few different types of art symbolism. There is so much more out there for you to discover, and understanding the different types of art symbolism can help you develop the way you understand and interpret the world. You should definitely learn all you can about the world of art symbolism!
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