Author:
Wilson, Matthew (Art historian) author.
ImprintLondon : Thames & Hudson Ltd ; New York, New York : Thames & Hudson Inc., 2022.
Imprint2022
Description271 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 26 cm
Note:The hidden language of power. Wild horses ; Falcons and the international language of authority ; Scales of justice ; Are dragons good or evil? ; Imperial eagles ; How a laurel wreath links emperors and poets ; When a column isn't a column ; Phoenixes and female power ; Next stop, elephant and castle ; Raging bulls ; The pear that terrorized a king ; The reason lions rule -- The hidden language of faith. Why do Jesus, Buddha, Mithra, and Vishnu all have haloes? ; Why your soul is a butterfly ; How the palm branch triumphed ; The wheel's revolution ; The power of doves ; Why the lily is the purest flower ; The hidden depths of a lotus ; Of eggs and origins ; The mystical, multi-dimensional rabbit ; The covert importance of goldfinches ; Rainbows : art, unity and optimism ; Holy grail, holy grapes -- The hidden language of uncertainty. Black mirrors ; The rise of the skull ; Wise owl? ; Cat lovers : don't read this ; The Illuminati, the Masons and the Eye of Providence ; Here's why you never trust a fox ; The scythe of time and death ; Lose yourself in a history of labyrinths ; Snakes : the good, the bad and the ugly ; An elegy to the poppy ; The corruption of a symbol : the swastika ; Before the bubble pops... -- The hidden language of hope. The never-ending symbol : ouroboros ; Paradise, power and eternal youth : fountains ; The secret superpowers of a peacock ; The greatest symbol of hope : a fish? ; A wild unicorn hunt ; A rose by any other name ; Why an orchid represents the perfect man ; Why you should always trust a dog ; Extraordinary parrots ; The friendly plant : sunflowers ; The carnation : flower of sorrow or joy? ; La Peregrina and the history of pearls in art.
Bibliography Note:Includes bibliographical references and index.
Note:"The Hidden Language of Symbols' covers a wide-ranging selection of visual culture under one unified theme: symbols. Often not immediately apparent, our day-to-day lives abound with symbols of various kinds from national emblems to emojis, allegories to logos, all of which exert a strong hold in the image-saturated, globalized world of the 21st century and have a fascinating story. Organized across four all-encompassing themes- power, faith, hope and uncertainty- this stimulating illustrated account of forty-eight key symbols from global art history is aimed at gallery-goers, armchair art sleuths or anyone who wants to understand the history of their visual environment from an unusual and creative angle. Drawing on examples from the imaginary, natural, physical and religious worlds; from dragons to eagles, butterflies to labyrinths and rainbows to wheels; author and art historian Matthew Wilson discusses the different types of symbols from their creation, their development and why they evolved, to the various ways they have been interpreted. He also explains in what way symbols are markers of identity that have the power to unite and divide societies and looks at how they have shaped the world beyond the gallery, revealing their impact on the appearance of our cities, the language of advertising and blockbuster films and even the design of corporate logos."-- Publisher's description.
