Johannes Vermeer, The Letter, oil on canvas, 1666, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. jpg, KI
When talking about painting, in particular representational painting, there are many types that we can refer to. These include, but are not limited to, portraits, landscape, still life, history, narrative, genre and so forth. While these may all be somewhat dissimilar, what they have in common is that we may also encounter allegorical paintings within each type. The (Oxford) dictionary definition of allegory is that it is a “narrative or description of figurative or symbolical application” which is vague enough to require its own explanation. (Before I continue, however, I should point out that allegory is used as an imaginative device in literature as well as art, but that’s another story.) An expanded definition with respect to visual art is that allegory is a narrative in which people and events have been given consistent symbolic meanings; it is an extended metaphor.
When talking about painting, in particular representational painting, there are many types that we can refer to. These include, but are not limited to,…
On art and allegory | Brockville Recorder & Times recorder.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from recorder.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.