Nature and Its Symbols

A Guide to Imagery #14

by Lucia Impelluso, Stephen Sartarelli (Translator)

Nature and Its Symbols is the fifth volume in the series A Guide to Imagery, reference guides whose goal is to explain the symbols used in art. This volume includes chapters on plants, flowers, fruits, and animals of the earth, air, and water, as well as fantastical creatures such as centaurs, griffons, and dragons. The vivid illustrations, which include paintings and tapestries from some of the world's premier museums, are accompanied by texts that offer a careful analysis of the artists' depictions of the natural world. fruit, or animal portrayed, its mythic or literary origins, and 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 travelled to Bethlehem to pay homage to the infant Jesus.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, Reference, Nature, History, Mythology

384 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2003

Reviews

[shems · Rating 3 out of 5]

me and your mom allude to the passion of christ <3

[Lucio Constantine: has left this site for YouTube · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nature and It's Symbols is about symbols, art, animals and its meanings. It talks about various plants and flowers; lilies and tulips being my favorite. It talk's about fruits, animals such as the bats and the spiders and wolves which I find the most interesting, Flying Animals, and my favorite section: Creatures Of Imagination and my favorite creature was the Griffin probably because I saw the movie Spiderwick Chronicles way too many times as a child.

The paintings are a bit Christian/religious orientated so if you are looking for anything else, you might not find any interest here, but I found it interesting. It is a well organized books, the third half kind of bored me a bit but it was overall pretty good. Would highly recommend, and you don't have to read this book in order.

It also referred back to Ovid, one of my favorite poets next to Dante, Milton, and Bukowski.

[Sasha Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

My low star-value may not be fair, but this book was really not what it claimed to be, and left me quite disappointed. Even limiting a study of symbolism to western art, the scope should be much more broad. This book focuses almost exclusively on renaissance Christian art. When another period or genre of art or history is mentioned, it is purely to provide context for what the author so clearly sees as the real points of interest- what renaissance Christians thought. There is nothing wrong with a visual glossary or encyclopedia of art from that specific time and place and school of thought. The book just doesn’t see itself so. Not only on the back, where it is billed as a guide to understanding western art in general, but in the introduction, the author claims to be providing a more comprehensive understanding than is available in this brick.
Casual readers and those with broad interests beware. This would be a useful reference book for someone studying a few specific areas, but even then, most of the correspondences can be reduced to ‘it means the Virgin Mary was pure’ or ‘it means Jesus suffered a lot for you personally.’

[La Porte sous la Colline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Partant du constat que le siècle des Lumières s'accompagne d'une nouvelle compréhension de la nature plus scientifique que mystique et magique, nombre de tableaux ont perdu de leur expressivité et ne sont plus compréhensibles pour les spectateurs du XXIe siècle. L'auteure, Lucia Impelluso, décrypte la complexité de ce langage au travers de différentes entrées thématiques et l'analyse synthétique d'une sélection de 350 œuvres. Un ouvrage dense qui aborde principalement ce sujet du point de vue de l'Occident.

[Theut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficilmente ritratti "da soli", questi elementi sono sempre stati usati alludendo a un significato recondito (il "Ritratto di donna con giacinto" non è solo un ritratto di una donna che prediligeva questo fiore, o almeno non solo). Utilissimo per "leggere" con occhi nuovi alcuni quadri, anche se dubito che potrò mai riconoscere l'aquilegia (giusto per fare un esempio), a meno che non mi si indichi con una freccia dotata di neon...

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. I appreciated the analysis of individual painting more than the abstract description of each plant or animal. Apparently lemons were once considered an antidote to poison, and pears appear in the Bible. Goldfinches eat thistles and the seashell is like the empty cave. Snails and carnations represent Passion. I learned a lot about vanitas paintings. This book focuses exclusively on Christian art.

[Juliette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned some interesting things but it annoyed me so much that there were a lot of Christian explanations which were all the same all a symbol of Marie's purity and Christ's passion. I wanted the author to go a bit further but still informative.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful well illustrated guide to natural imagery in Western art.

[Kaye Salter · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love art and paintings, you will love this book! I would love to see it expanded on

Watch my May reads review here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJsb0...

[catharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book at the Uffizi museum in Florence, italy, because I had just been wondering what the peacock means in the paintings. And the lions. And the other animals and plants.

Did you know that the cucumbers in pictures of the Virgin Mary are a stand-in for the original sin that surrounds her but does not touch her? And cucumbers are sinful because the Israelites in the desert would rather eat them than the manna that God provided?

This was a great book on the train back from Florence to Rome, and provided references that will improve my appreciation of ancient and early Christian art.

[Starflash · Rating 4 out of 5]

the illustrations and theory of this book is really beautiful but the symbolisms were almost exclusively religious in nature and i feel it did a disservice to the wonderful notion of symbolism in art and nature. a little thin in that regard but for sure worth borrowing from the library and i may again at a later time.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great reference to have around, I wish i bought it instead of checking it out from the library. My only complaints are its complete Eurocentrism and lack of esoteric information.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit more blah than most of the books in the series, but still good..,

[Brian Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While very informative especially of western art,I was shocked that the lotus - such an important synbol to most of the world, was not included.

[Rata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great iconographic dictionary!