Common Symbols in Art

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Why This Matters

When you encounter a skull resting beside a flickering candle in a Dutch Golden Age painting, or a dove descending in a Renaissance altarpiece, you're not just looking at decorative choices—you're reading a visual language that artists have used for centuries to communicate complex ideas about mortality, spirituality, transformation, and human nature. Understanding this symbolic vocabulary is essential for analyzing how artists embed meaning in their work and how viewers across different eras and cultures have interpreted these images.

You're being tested on your ability to decode visual meaning, not just identify objects. An exam question won't simply ask "What animal appears in this painting?" It will ask you to explain what that animal signifies and how it contributes to the work's overall message. The symbols below fall into distinct conceptual categories—some address our relationship with death, others explore spiritual themes, and still others examine transformation and duality. Don't just memorize a list of objects and meanings; know which concept each symbol illustrates and how symbols within the same category compare to one another.

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Mortality and the Passage of Time

Artists have long grappled with humanity's awareness of death, creating a rich tradition of memento mori—symbols that remind viewers of life's brevity and the certainty of death. These symbols appear across cultures and periods, urging contemplation of how we spend our limited time.

Skull

• The quintessential memento mori symbol—appears in vanitas paintings to remind viewers that death comes for everyone, regardless of wealth or status
• Represents the Latin phrase "memento mori" (remember that you will die), encouraging viewers to prioritize spiritual over material concerns
• Frequently paired with other mortality symbols like hourglasses or wilting flowers to reinforce themes of earthly impermanence

Hourglass

• Visualizes time literally running out—the falling sand creates urgency and emphasizes life's finite nature
• Functions as a memento mori device alongside skulls in Dutch vanitas still lifes, often positioned near symbols of wealth to critique materialism
• Represents the cyclical nature of existence when shown with both chambers, suggesting renewal even within mortality themes

Candle

• A lit flame signifies life's fragility—easily extinguished, just as human existence can end suddenly
• Burning or guttering candles in vanitas paintings indicate the passage of time and approaching death
• Also carries spiritual meaning as divine presence or hope, creating layered interpretations depending on context

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Spiritual and Religious Symbolism

Religious art relies heavily on established symbols to communicate theological concepts to viewers, many of whom historically couldn't read. These symbols function as a visual shorthand for complex spiritual ideas about faith, sacrifice, and divine presence.

Cross

• The central symbol of Christianity—represents Christ's crucifixion and the promise of salvation through his sacrifice
• Appears in multiple forms: the Latin cross (longer vertical beam), Greek cross (equal arms), and Celtic cross (with ring), each carrying slightly different associations
• Signifies faith, redemption, and hope for resurrection, making it ubiquitous in Western religious art from medieval altarpieces to contemporary works

Dove

• Represents the Holy Spirit in Christian iconography, particularly in depictions of Christ's baptism and the Annunciation
• Symbolizes peace and reconciliation when shown carrying an olive branch—a reference to the dove in the Noah's Ark narrative
• Conveys purity and divine love across multiple cultural contexts, extending beyond strictly religious meanings

Lily

• Associated with the Virgin Mary and her purity—appears frequently in Annunciation scenes, often held by the angel Gabriel
• Symbolizes innocence, renewal, and hope for resurrection, making it common in both religious and funerary art
• The white lily specifically (lilium candidum) carries the strongest Marian associations in Western art tradition

Anchor

• An early Christian symbol of hope and faith—used by persecuted Christians as a disguised cross
• Represents spiritual steadfastness and being grounded in belief during turbulent times
• Combines maritime associations with theological meaning, suggesting safe harbor in divine protection

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Transformation and Rebirth

Some of art's most powerful symbols address the human capacity for change—whether through death and resurrection, spiritual awakening, or personal metamorphosis. These symbols often carry dual meanings, representing both an ending and a new beginning.

Butterfly

• Embodies metamorphosis from caterpillar to winged creature—a visual metaphor for the soul's journey and spiritual transformation
• Represents the psyche in Greek tradition (the word psyche means both "soul" and "butterfly")
• Signifies resurrection and eternal life in Christian contexts, while also acknowledging beauty's fleeting nature

Phoenix

• The ultimate rebirth symbol—a mythical bird that dies in flames and rises renewed from its own ashes
• Represents resilience and triumph over adversity, appearing in contexts from ancient mythology to contemporary art
• Signifies immortality and cyclical renewal, suggesting that destruction can be a precursor to transformation

Snake

• Embodies transformation through its ability to shed its skin, symbolizing renewal and regeneration
• Carries healing associations through the Rod of Asclepius (single snake) and Caduceus (two snakes), connecting to medicine and restoration
• Also represents danger and temptation—particularly in Judeo-Christian contexts referencing the Garden of Eden

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Duality and Moral Complexity

Many symbols carry contradictory meanings, reflecting art's capacity to explore moral ambiguity and the coexistence of opposing forces. These symbols require careful contextual reading because their meaning shifts based on how artists deploy them.

Snake

• Exemplifies symbolic duality—simultaneously represents healing (medicine) and harm (venom), wisdom and temptation
• Biblical associations with the Fall cast the serpent as tempter and agent of sin, particularly when shown with apples or in garden settings
• Ancient cultures viewed snakes positively as symbols of fertility, protection, and cosmic power, demonstrating how meaning varies across contexts

Apple

• Primarily associated with temptation and the Fall of Man—represents the forbidden fruit and humanity's choice to disobey God
• Symbolizes knowledge and its consequences—the desire to know versus the innocence of ignorance
• Carries positive meanings in other contexts: fertility, abundance, and love (particularly in Greek mythology with the golden apple)

Mirror

• Represents the tension between appearance and reality—what we see versus what truly exists
• Functions as a vanity symbol in moralizing art, warning against self-obsession and superficiality
• Enables exploration of identity and self-knowledge, appearing in works that question how we perceive ourselves and others

Owl

• Symbolizes wisdom and knowledge through association with Athena/Minerva, the Greek/Roman goddess of wisdom
• Also carries darker associations with death, night, and the mysterious—particularly in medieval and some non-Western traditions
• Represents intuition and the subconscious, connecting to hidden knowledge beyond rational understanding

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Virtue, Power, and Human Ideals

Artists use certain symbols to represent aspirational human qualities—courage, love, nobility, and moral purity. These symbols often appear in portraits, allegories, and works celebrating individuals or ideals.

Lion

• The preeminent symbol of strength and courage—associated with royalty, nobility, and military prowess across cultures
• Represents Christ as the "Lion of Judah" in Christian iconography, combining power with spiritual authority
• Functions as guardian and protector when flanking thrones, gates, or tombs, signifying watchful strength

Rose

• The primary symbol of love and passion—its beauty and fragrance represent romantic and divine love alike
• Associated with the Virgin Mary in Christian art, where it signifies her beauty and the sweetness of divine love
• The thorns carry meaning too—representing the pain accompanying love, or Christ's suffering (connecting to the crown of thorns)

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Quick Reference Table

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Self-Check Questions

1. Which two symbols both represent transformation but differ in whether that transformation is gentle or violent? Explain the distinction.

2. A vanitas painting shows a skull, an hourglass, and a guttering candle. What overarching concept unites these three symbols, and what message is the artist conveying?

3. Compare and contrast the symbolic meanings of the snake and the apple. In what context would you expect to see them together, and what would each contribute to the scene's meaning?

4. If an FRQ asks you to analyze how an artist represents hope in a religious context, which three symbols from this guide would provide the strongest examples? Justify your choices.

5. The dove and the lily both appear frequently in Annunciation scenes. What does each symbolize, and why might an artist include both rather than just one?