The Meaning of Symbols in Art

What might a mirror, a dog, a skull, a red lily or a discarded pair of shoes reveal about the meaning of a painting, fresco or sculpture?  Buildings may be covered in symbols, as in the proliferation of bees and doves in the churches and palaces of 17th century Rome.  The rich symbolism in the art, sculpture and architecture of Western Europe developed gradually as Christianity gathered momentum, in the early medieval period, from the straightforward symbols held by saints to the complex symbolism of later centuries, as in the windows of Chartres, the sculpture of Bernini or the paintings of Bosch.

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