Signs and Symbols in
Biblically Themed
painting
The Meaning of
Sacred Symbols in Christian themed Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance Painting
An open book, a bowel of strawberries, a
sleeping dog, a key in a lock, a mirror, a raven—all are
charmingly decorative to the average viewer. For painters of the
Gothic,
Early
Renaissance
and
High
Renaissance
eras, symbols were part of a rich visual
language.
In a culture of restricted literacy,
symbolic imagery was crucial in keeping sinners on the path to heaven.
Narrative paintings, with their layer upon layer of vivid symbolism,
provided instruction to the uneducated peasants who craved scriptural
guidance. Paintings throughout Western history have been used as guides
in illuminating the divine mysteries of Gods Holy Word.