Symbolism in art

Tiffany Young! 9/17/2104! Western Cultural History! ! ! ! ! Symbolism in Art! ! ! ! ! Symbolism is an artistic and poetic movement or style using symbolic images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind. The word for symbol is derived from the Greek word meaning "to throw together". It originated in late 19th century France and Belgium. A symbol creates an equation between a specific object, scene, character or action and an idea. It is a substitute for the thing being symbolized. Three types of symbolism are: Archetypal, universal, and contextual. Archetypal symbols span cultures and history, Universal symbols are consistent within cultures, and contextual symbols functioning within text. To determine what is symbolic, one should judge the importance that the author gives to a particular object, action or character. Symbols in art can help interpret deeper meanings and lessons to be learned from the pieces.!! ! Albrecht Dürer's St. Jerome in his Study, does not exude any sense of hastiness or anxiety. Time seems lenient,frozen. By projecting a highly ordered, atemporal space, Dürer's work celebrates the resurrection of man after death and emphasizes the immortality of the human intellect. The engraving depicts a wood-paneled room with visible boundaries, which situate the viewer outside and below the level of the fictive space. The room is illuminated by two windows on the left. St. Jerome sits alone in the left rear of the room,facing the viewer and bending over the study table before him. St. Jerome's only two companions are a dog and a lion, which lie in the foreground. Characterized through almost perfect order, the pictorial space resembles a secluded sanctuary and exudes the utmost sense of calm. The wood beams in the ceiling, the margin of the study table, the bench...