Nature And Its Symbols

Product Description

Nature & Its Symbols

Includes:: chapters on plants, flowers, fruits, & animals of the earth, air, & water, as well as fantastical creatures such as centaurs, griffons, & dragons. The vivid illustrations, which include paintings & tapestries from some of the world's premier museums, are accompanied by texts that offer careful analyses of the artists' depictions of the natural world. Each entry discusses the symbolic significance of the particular plant, fruit, or animal portrayed, its mythic or literary origins, & the episodes or individuals associated with it. These salient points are also called out in summary form within each entry, making the information easily accessible. The reader discovers, for example, that the iris can represent Jesus or the purity of the Virgin Mary as well as the kings of France or the city of Florence. The monkey, which can be symbolic of the devil, heresy, or bad temper, is also associated with the three wise men who traveled to Bethlehem to pay homage to the infant Jesus. By bringing to life the natural world as portrayed in art, Nature & Its Symbols will surely be an indispensable resource for museum visitors, art lovers, & students. Lucia Impelluso is an architect & the author of many books.