Symbols and Allegories in Art (book)

Symbols and Allegories in Art
Matilde Battistini
Getty Publications America 2005

"carnation, symbol of fidelity in love."
page 19
check out the language of flowers

"The mirror, which represents sight"
page 38
painting : allegory of the five senses, by Sebastian Stoskopff


"the soap bubbles symbolize the fleeting nature of earthly existence"
page 78

"Youth is represented by a happy young couple"
page 95
painting : the three ages of man by Titian

"the wolf, endowed with very keen visions, forms the figures eye."
"the lion symbolizes strength and virtue attained through effort"
page 106
painting : Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Earth,1570


"the snake symbolizes evil."
page 119


"the rose petals are symbols of love"
page 131

"the peacock is a symbol of rebirth and redemption."
page 147

"the pearl necklace and earring give the portrait a sexual connotation: we recognize the figure to be female"
page 206
painting : Water  by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

"the sea of clouds is a symbol of the Sublime, that peculiar "feeling" one gets when contemplating nature"
page 231

"the masks symbolize falsehood and lies"
page 234

"the strawberry and cherry are traditional symbols of lust"
page 257

"the mirror, principal attribute of the proud"
"the chest contains gold and jewelry. The iconography of this vice partly follows that for vanity."
page 279

"the red dress embroidered in black is another distinct attribute of Wrath, which brings grief and tragedy."
page 281

"gold coins are a typical attribute of greed."
page 285

"the feather, jewels, vials of perfume, and cut flowers are typical attributes of Vanitas."
page 292

"the jewels on the table are symbols of the Blessed Virgin's purity"
page 302
painting : Woman Weighing Pearls by Jan Vermeer

"the scepter alludes to royal power"
page 332
sculpture : Giuliano de' Medici by Michelangelo

"the bowl of jewels has been interpreted as an allusion to fleeting happiness, the only kind that can be attained on Earth."
page 344

"Precious objects, gold coins, and jewels are clear reminders of the vanity of external wealth"
page 365