What Is the Function of Allegory in Painting?

In painting, allegory serves to represent a message through symbolic items, figures, and metaphors. In the context of painted artworks, allegory is the direct replacement of one symbol with another that alludes to the same message or story. Often, the meaning is held outside of the painting through a thorough examination of the work.

The word “allegory” comes from the Latin and Greek words “allegoria,” which means “veiled language” or “figurative language.” The most well-known use of allegory in fiction is as a literary device. Virgil’s “Eclogues” is a classical allegory, while George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” is a more modern version. Some critics see J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” as an allegory for the atomic bomb and World War 2 when the author or painter has no intention of providing such hints.

Allegory was used Cicero to code letters. Quintilian, on the other hand, thought there were two types of allegory. There was wit and sarcasm, and then there was personal or historical allegory using metaphors. Quintilian thought that allegories that were too difficult to decipher were a flaw in art and literature.

Allegory in painting and literature had four basic functions for medieval painters and writers, all of which revolved around the bible. The first was a straightforward representation with no hidden meaning or subtext. Second, there were typographical allegories connecting the Old and New Testaments. Third, there were moral allegories that guided modern behavior. Finally, there were anagogical allegories that alluded to future events like hell, heaven, and the final judgment.

Jan Vermeer, a Dutch painter, is a good example of allegory in painting. His work, titled “The Allegory of Painting,” consists of three allegories, each of which serves a different purpose. First, through Clio’s presence, he represents inspiration and muses. Second, introducing a crease between the Netherlands and Belgium on the map, he creates an allegory of their history. This contrasts the free and Protestant Netherlands with the Catholic but dominated Belgium. Finally, depicting himself in anachronistic clothing, he connects contemporary artists with those from the past.

Another artist who used allegory in his work is Agnolo Bronzino. His 1546 piece “Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time” is a good example. Some of the allegories, such as Father Time, Cupid, and Venus, are obvious. Others, such as the elderly lady tearing her hair, are amenable to debate.

With his “Primavera” in 1482, Sandro Botticelli demonstrated that an allegory in painting can work on multiple levels. The painting is ostensibly about spring, but it’s also about how the world became more fertile, more subtly. As the Graces appear to renounce Zephyrus, the painting’s deep subtext appears to revolve around neoplatonic love.