Symbolist painting emphasized fantasy and imagination in their depiction of objects. The artists of the movement often used metaphors and symbols to suggest a subject and favored mystical and occult themes. Influenced by Romanticism and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, the movement strived to depict the symbols of ideas. The movement originated in France and spread across Europe. Symbolists were opposed to the visual realism of the Impressionists and serious nature of the Industrial Age. Their aim was to portray mysterious and ambiguous interpretations of emotions and ideas by using unobvious symbols. Some artists, including Puvis de Chavannes, Moreau, and Redon, borrowed their imagery from Symbolist writings. These works would often contain grotesque and fantastical imagery such as severed heads, monsters, and spirits. In addition, their works sometimes contained references to the Bible and ancient myths. Other Symbolists took a more traditional approach, using lines and colors to produce emotional effects. The Symbolist movement was important to the development of the Surrealism.

Artists: (biography & artworks) Related Paintings Reproductions

Bernard, Emile - 1868 - 1941
Böcklin, Arnold - 1827 - 1901
Denis, Maurice - 1870 - 1943
Khnopff, Fernand - 1858 - 1921
Klinger, Max - 1857 - 1920
Leduc, Ozias - 1864 - 1955
Minne, George - 1866 - 1941
Moreau, Gustave - 1826 - 1898
Puvis de Chavannes, Pierre - 1824 - 1898
Redon, Odilon - 1840 - 1916
Serusier, Paul - 1864 - 1927
Stuck, Franz von - 1863 - 1929
Toorop, Jan - 1858 - 1928
Vrubel? Mikhail - 1856 - 1910
Vuillard, Edouard - 1868 - 1940
Waterhouse, John William - 1849 - 1917
Willumsen, Jens Ferdinand - 1863 - 1958