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The interpretation of art is open to every individual to do so in his or her own way, their cultural upbringing and personnal experiences shaping their perception of a work of art, regardless of the artist’s original intent.
An individuals appreciation for a particular piece can also be enhanced by learning the original intent and message of the work. Symbolism has been a part of painting since the early cave painting and throughout history symbols- painted objects or marks within the work - have been used as a form of hieroglifics. There are many commonly used symbols that are used to convey a deeper set of ideas.
Care should be taken when viewing a work not to try and decifer a painting like a puzzle, many artists add ellements on a quite a subconcious level, or just for the joy of painting, or as a compositional device.
Some common symbols
Heart pierced by an arrow: Symbolized how love is both pleasurable and painful.
Heart: Stems from the old belief that the heart is the spiritual center of our emotions, love in particular. A heart symbol is used to replace the word love.
Red: Red is often used to carry meanings of love and passion.
Honeysuckle: A symbol of love and generosity.
Black Birds: (Crows, Ravens, Etc. ) These birds typically symbolize death and destruction.
Scythe: A scythe (more commonly known as a sickle) is a curved, sharp blade at the end of a long handle. It represents death as it originates from pagan harvest ceremonies where living crops were cut down using it.
Cypress Tree: Commonly used as a graveyard planter as it is believed to preserve bodies.
Daisy: A white daisy is a symbol of innocence.
Clover leaf: Three leafed clovers typically represent the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Four leafed clovers represent luck.
Sunflowers: As a flower which blindly follows the sun, sunflowers have become a symbol of infatuation or foolish passion.
Bamboo: Bamboo is a symbol for longevity as it always has green shoots. It also symbolizes strength and grace, for it bends but does not break easily.
Carnation: A symbol of engagement or intimate relationship.
Juniper: Juniper has multiple forms of symbolism. One, it symbolizes chastity because juniper berries are protected by thorny leaves. Two, it symbolizes Christ (crown of thorns), and Three…it symbolizes eternity for juniper wood is rarely attacked by bugs & worms.
Lotus: The lotus symbolizes birth and rebirth. It is also a symbol for creation, fertility and purity. The long stem symbolizes our connection to our origins, while the flower represents aspirations toward enlightenment.
Violet: Symbolizes humility, faithfulness and chastity.
Orchid: A symbol of perfection.
Poppy: A symbol of death.
Dan Baldwin on his use of Symbols
I use many symbols in my work -
mainly the skull, (mortality, decay, death, ) the flower (fragility, beauty, innocence, nature) fruit,(symbolic of fertility, fragility, innocence,temptation. . decay, )
the gun,(conflict, war, etc) then i use the swallow, and birds a lot, (innocence, freedom, but nature is harsh and cruel)
the stag, (folk symbolism and proud magestic etc) the little girl (sexuality,innocence,purity) the cobweb -(food for the spider, death for the fly -caught in a web-web of deceit,sticky end)
the skeleton (we all have a skeleton underneath, we will all die, a comment on anatomy and life/death)- the hare,fertility, spring,rebirth etc,,,,the poppy - war-survival,flowering amidst adversity in harsh conditions,the knife, the razor blade -they are real, will kill you or harm you...wings- (angel/nature) - etc . . .
many many - and then all put together to play on all these themes and conflict with each other or work in harmony