The Symbols of Art

Susie Hodge (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

272 Seiten

2026
Frances Lincoln (Verlag)
978-1-80570-035-7 (ISBN)

Noch nicht erschienen (ca. Mai 2026)
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Why is there a lily in that religious picture? Why is there a skull in that still-life? Great works of arts from all periods often have details or objects that carry symbolic meanings.

Sometimes those symbols would have been obvious to contemporary viewers but now need explaining to a modern audience who are less familiar with, say, Christian iconography or Classical myths. In other cases, the symbolism is deliberately obscure – designed to add a hidden layer of meaning to the work, to make the viewer work at its true meaning. This book includes over 100 symbols from across different periods and styles of art history. Each one is illustrated with at least one example, demonstrating when an artist has hidden a deeper message, or that these messages can change depending on the time, place and reasons the artwork was created.

Organized by type of symbol and with extensive indexing, the book is an invaluable, easy-to-use guide to help readers get the most out of works of art.

Susie Hodge MA, FRSA, is an art historian, artist and journalist with more than 100 books in print on art history, practical art and history. She also writes magazine articles, web resources and booklets for galleries, and lectures around the world.

CONTENTS
6 Introduction

The Natural World

Plants

12 Sunflower

14 Jasmine

16 Poppy

18 Forget-me-not

20 Daisy

22 Iris

24 Rose

26 Lotus

28 Lily

30 Carnation

32 Cypress

34 Laurel

36 Palm

38 Oak

Fruit

42 Apple

44 Vine and Grapes

46 Olive and Olive Tree

48 Fig

50 Orange

52 Watermelon

54 Lemon

56 Banana

58 Pomegranate

60 Strawberry

62 Cherry

Animals

66 Horse

68 Snake

70 Monkey

72 Lion

74 Deer

76 Cat

78 Dog

80 Fish

82 Lobster

84 Dolphin

86 Seashell

88 Crane

90 Peacock

92 Falcon

94 Owl

96 Eagle

98 Dove

100 Raven and Crow

102 Feathers

Insects

106 Butterfly

108 Bee

110 Dragonfly

112 Beetle

114 Fly

Bodies

118 Skull

120 Blood

122 Heart

124 Hands

126 Eyes

128 Ears

130 Feet

132 Hair

Land, Water and Air

136 Mountains

138 Woods and Forests

140 Rivers

142 Sea

144 Clouds

146 Rain

148 Sun

150 Moon

152 Stars

The Manmade World

The Home

158 Bed

160 Chairs

162 Mirrors

164 Clock

166 Hourglass

168 Book

170 Globe

172 Window

174 Door

176 Scale

178 Key

Clothing

182 Shoe

184 Glove

186 Mask

188 Jewellery

190 Umbrella

Music

194 Trumpet

196 Lute

198 Flute

200 Piano

Objects

204 Weapons

206 Chains

208 Cross

210 Balloon

Food

214 Bread

216 Egg

218 Chocolate

220 Onion and Garlic

222 Corn

The Supernatural World

226 Dragon

228 Halo

230 Phoenix

232 Angel

Colours and Shapes

Colours

238 Red

240 Yellow

242 Blue

244 Green

246 Purple

248 Orange

250 Pink

252 White

254 Black

Shapes

258 Triangle

260 Circle

262 Square

264 Spiral

266 Index

271 Credits

272 Acknowledgements

Erscheint lt. Verlag	7.5.2026
Zusatzinfo	127 images
Sprache	englisch
Maße	170 x 225 mm
Gewicht	880 g
Themenwelt	Kunst / Musik / Theater ► Kunstgeschichte / Kunststile
Themenwelt	Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Gesundheit / Leben / Psychologie
ISBN-10	1-80570-035-9 / 1805700359
ISBN-13	978-1-80570-035-7 / 9781805700357
Zustand	Neuware