Symbolism

Symbolism Oil paintings

Symbolism was the art movement that began around the late nineteenth century. It originated from Belgian and French poetry before moving to other forms of art, including symbolism painting. One of the early literary works that began this movement was the Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil) written by Charles Baudelaire. He, in turn, had gotten his inspiration from the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The French writer had admired Poe's work so much that he had translated the works of the American into French. His later writings also reflected the images found in Poe's works.

This movement was preceded by the Aesthetic, which was championed by Stephane Mallerme and Paul Verlaine during the 1860s, and this stayed until the 1870s. This movement attracted a number of writers, but some of them were later identified as "symbolists" as defined by Jean Moreas, who needed a name to distinguish the realists from those who tried to address certain topics in a more indirect way.

As the literary world started to identify symbolism as its own movement, the visual side began its own version of symbolism. This branched out from the dark side of Romanticism and made itself a separate entity by being less rebellious and more hieratic.

No matter where the roots came from though, the fact is that symbolism was more of a reaction to naturalism and realism. The two art forms were concentrated more on the gritty portions of life and they emphasized the ordinary and tried to take away the ideal. Those who reacted to this took the separate path and emphasized spirituality and turned the spotlight to dreams and imagination. This was the path that further led to symbolism. A writer of note who first came from realism would be Joris-Karl Huysmans. He started off as a naturalist before moving on to symbolism, which also affected his lifestyle as he became more religious. As symbolism took off, those who remained in the previous movement moved to topics that dealt more with sexuality and some sordid subjects. To offset the choice of subject though, some hints of Byronic Romanticism were included in their works.

Symbolists believed that theirs was not an art, but rather a new ideological trend. Believing that art should be able to speak of truths that could not be approached directly, the artists started painting regular items in a manner that one could say was metaphorical. This resulted in pictures that were attractive to a more specific group of people.

There were several groups of symbolists as the movement had a very far reach. Some Russians and Americans were known to be part of this movement, though the way they approached their subjects were rather different. There was also a group that followed Aestheticism. The name was different, but there were huge similarities in the ideologies. This movement also developed further down the road into Expressionism and Surrealism.

More Symbolism Painting Info

5
     

We can paint

ANY IMAGE

in ANY SIZE

Request a quote
Composition

Composition

$135.41$113.7416% off
Ancient town

Ancient town

$120.87$101.5316% off
Blonde Frau

Blonde Frau

$133.88$112.4616% off
Reclining Woman

Reclining Woman

$91.80$77.1116% off
Spring Landscape

Spring Landscape

$150.71$126.5916% off
pan frightening a shepherd

pan frightening a shepherd

$127.76$107.3116% off
Oil Galatea 1

Oil Galatea 1

$126.99$106.6716% off
Winter Vii 1907

Winter Vii 1907

$120.87$101.5316% off
Fortune

Fortune

$133.88$112.4616% off
Amor Imperator

Amor Imperator

$80.33$67.4716% off
Findelkind

Findelkind

$133.88$112.4616% off
Le Fondeur (The Foundry)

Le Fondeur (The Foundry)

$110.16$92.5316% off
Arrangement 1918

Arrangement 1918

$123.93$104.1016% off
sanctuary of hercules

sanctuary of hercules

$113.99$95.7516% off
nessus and deianeira

nessus and deianeira

$110.16$92.5316% off
Dying Warrior 1

Dying Warrior 1

$75.74$63.6216% off
To Blagovest 1895

To Blagovest 1895

$123.93$104.1016% off
Bathers I

Bathers I

$95.63$80.3316% off
The Creation 1902

The Creation 1902

$139.23$116.9516% off
Apple Tree I

Apple Tree I

$113.99$95.7516% off
Pablo Casals

Pablo Casals

$140.76$118.2416% off
Bouquet Of Anemones

Bouquet Of Anemones

$156.06$131.0916% off
The Kiss

The Kiss

$150.71$126.5916% off
Pearl Oister 1904

Pearl Oister 1904

$133.88$112.4616% off
prometheus 1883

prometheus 1883

$120.87$101.5316% off
Jonah

Jonah

$137.70$115.6716% off
Feodosia

Feodosia

$127.76$107.3116% off
The Seeress of Prevorst

The Seeress of Prevorst

$120.87$101.5316% off
Our valley

Our valley

$154.53$129.8116% off
A Forest

A Forest

$100.98$84.8216% off
Bitter Experience

Bitter Experience

$119.34$100.2516% off
Seated Demon 1890

Seated Demon 1890

$91.80$77.1116% off
Bathroom

Bathroom

$147.65$124.0216% off
Judith and Holofernes

Judith and Holofernes

$149.18$125.3116% off
The Golden Calf As In Exodus

The Golden Calf As In Exodus

$119.34$100.2516% off
Self-portrait

Self-portrait

$123.93$104.1016% off
Moses

Moses

$73.44$61.6916% off
The Lilacs 1900

The Lilacs 1900

$149.18$125.3116% off
Hope I 1903

Hope I 1903

$102.51$86.1116% off
Cythera's Toilette

Cythera's Toilette

$90.27$75.8316% off
Ivan Karamazov 1927

Ivan Karamazov 1927

$135.41$113.7416% off
Femme de dos, se d

Femme de dos, se d

$146.12$122.7416% off
We can paint any size, we can paint any image. Can't find what you are looking for? Contact Us