Hidden Symbols in Art: The Illustrated Decoder of Symbols and Figures in Western Painting

Hidden Symbols in Art:

-Is an authorative, informative, and easy-to-guide to the mythological, religious, historic, literary, and symbolic traditions which have inspired artists from all ages, and continue to inspire today.

-Provides detailed commentaries on 75 great paintings-as well as illuminating analyses of more than 500 individual figures, symbols, and allegories from 700 years of artistic creation.

-Gives essential information on the characters, both real and imagined, whose lives and stories inspired centuries of artists-from Apollo, Zeus, and their fellow Olympian gods and goddesses to Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the apostles, and the saints.

-Includes fascinating feature panels, illustrated with details from great works of art, explaining how to interpret a wide range of artistic themes, from the nine Muses to the Seven Deadly Sins.

-Concludes with a reference list of specific paintings cited or illustrated in the book, with details of the museum or gallery in which they may be seen.