Symbolism
Sep 24, 2014 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
Europa and the Bull, 1869 by Moreau
Symbolism has been described as the more fantasy-centric counterpart to the Aesthetic Movement. We love expressing our imagination and decided that exploring this artistic genre would be a great way to find new inspiration. Come along for the ride and let us know what you think of this style in the comments…
What is Symbolism?
This shift toward a more spiritually-inclined interpretation started in the late 1800s and developed through the early 1900s. Like other artistic styles, it started with the written word (more specifically poetry) but also took notes from Art Nouveau. Symbolism, in a nut shell, is a reaction against three main things: naturalism, realism, and decadence. It found its voice in elevating the ordinary to the realm of extraordinary.
“The Flowers of Evil” with Baudelaire’s notes
Symbolism was born in Europe, spreading its wings in France, Russia, and Belgium, but it found a world-wide audience over the decades. Many trace its roots to “The Flowers of Evil” published in 1857 by Charles Baudelaire. In fact, most say that Baudelaire and his peer Edgar Allan Poe gave Symbolism its meaning.
The tendency toward free-verse and a pessimistic tone in poetry soon took shape in the both visual arts and music. Across the globe, creative minds flocked to Symbolism’s belief that art was a refuge for ideas. By 1886, Jean Moréas penned the Symbolist Manifesto and the foundation was firmed up for this romantic approach.
Jean Moréas
Symbolism followers cared about morality, spirituality, imagination, and dreams. As a result, common themes included love, fear, death, and lust. The female form was a typical focal point and women were portrayed in two extremes: the femme fatale or the virginal idol. In a painting, objects often carried with them a special meaning. This technique reflected the core belief that art speaks to the truth of the matter, not by showing it realistically, but by echoing its impact. That’s a much harder concept to capture, but as the artists would have argued – it is the more critical issue.
Jurisprudence, final state, dated 1907 by Gustav Klimt
Painters didn’t share a specific style, but during their shared pursuit of the mystical, they often employed broad brush strokes and dramatic posing. Musicians used Symbolist literary works as their main influence for amazing operas and compositions. You can imagine how nicely this dovetailed with the stage sets as the pieces took on a theatrical presence!
Well-known Symbolist artists include: Puvis de Chavannes, Paul Gauguin, Edvard Munch, Gustav Klimt, Claude Debussy, and Gustave Moreau.
Cause A Frockus would like to thank their tremendous resources: Wikipedia, The Met Museum, and the people who post their imagery without restriction.
For our readers: Do you prefer realistic imagery or paintings that take you to a world that can only exist in your mind?