Symbolism Symbolism originated in France, and was part of a 19th-century movement in which art became infused with mysticism. French Symbolism was both a continuation of the Romantic tradition and a reaction to the realistic approach of impressionism. It served as a catalyst in the outgrowth of the darker sides of Romanticism and toward abstraction.

   The term Symbolism means the systematic use of symbols or pictorial conventions to express an allegorical meaning. Symbolism is an important element of most religious arts and reading symbols plays a main role in psychoanalysis. Thus, the Symbolist painters used these symbols from mythology and dream imagery for a visual language of the soul.

   Not so much a style of art, Symbolism was more an international ideological trend. Symbolists believed that art should apprehend more absolute truths which could only be accessed indirectly. Thus, they painted scenes from nature, human activities, and all other real world phenomena in a highly metaphorical and suggestive manner.

Edvard Munch.The Scream. 1893Oil, tempera and pastel on cardboard, 91 x 73.5 cm.National Gallery, Oslo

Gustave Moreau. Jason. 1865.Oil on canvas, 6' 8 1/4" x 3' 9 1/2" (204 x 115.5 cm). Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Gustave Moreau (1826-1898)

Gustave Moreau. The Apparition. c. 1874-76.Oil on canvas, 142 x 103 cm.Musee Gustave Moreau, Paris

Odilon Redon. The Red Sphinxc. 1912Oil on canvas, 61 x 49.5 cm.Private collection

Odilon Redon (1840-1916)

Odilon Redon. The Cyclops. c. 1914.Oil on canvas, 64 x 51 cm.Museum Kroller-Mueller, Otterlo, The Netherlands

Henri Rousseau. Exotic Landscape.1908.Oil on canvas, 116 x 89 cm.Private collection

Henri Rousseau. The Dream. 1910Oil on canvas, 6' 8 1/2" x 9' 9 1/2”.The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Max Klinger. The Abduction(from A Glove), 1881 (1924 edition)Etchings with aquatint, 118mm x 269mm. Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas

Max Klinger (1857-1920)German Symbolist artist best known for his enigmatic portfolio Paraphrases About the Finding of a Glove (1881).

James Ensor. Christ’s Entry into Brussels in 1889.1888. Oil on canvas, 99 1/2 x 169 1/2 in. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

James Ensor (1860-1949)

James Ensor. The Great Judge. 1898.

Edvard Munch. The Storm. 1893Oil on canvas, 36 x 51 1/2 in. (91.5 x 131 cm).Museum of Modern Art, New York

Edvard Munch (1863-1944)

Edvard Munch. Puberty. 1895.Oil on canvas, 59 5/8 x 43 1/4 in.National Gallery, Oslo

Edvard Munch. Jealousy. 1895.Oil on canvas, 67 x 100 cm (26 x 39 in.).The Munch Museum, Oslo

Gustav Klimt. The Kiss. 1907-08Oil and gold on canvas, 180 x 180 cm.Osterreichische Galerie, Vienna

Gustav Klimt (1862-1918)

Gustav Klimt. Death and Life. 1916.Oil on canvas, 178 x 198 cm. Private collection, Vienna

Auguste Rodin. The Thinker. 1879-1887.Bronze, 68.6 x 89.4 x 50.8 cm. Musée Rodin, Paris

Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)The Symbolist desire to penetrate and portray the innermost essence of being had a parallel in the sculptures of Rodin. The most influential sculptor of the late 19th century, Rodin laid the foundation for 20th century sculpture.

Auguste Rodin. The Call to Arms. 1879.Bronze, 44 1/2 x 22 3/4 x 15/15/16. Legion of Honor, San Francisco

Auguste Rodin. The Three Shades. Ca. 1898.Bronze, 75 1/2 x 73 1/2 x 41 1/2. Legion of Honor, San Francisco