Nature and Its Symbols

Lucia Impelluso “Impelluso’s delectable visual dictionary neatly explicates the symbolic and even magical meanings inherent in depictions of the natural world in traditional Western art.” —Booklist   Explore the extensive imagery and fascinating symbolic meanings of plants and animals, both real and fantastic, in hundreds of works of art.  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. Each entry discusses the symbolic significance of the particular plant, fruit, or animal portrayed, its mythic or literary origi