February is the month of love – where we treat our loved ones with gifts and acts of kindness – and we can think of no better way to embrace that fact than to examine how symbols of love have been used throughout the history of Eastern and Western art. Artists have represented the themes of love, devotion, and passion both openly and symbolically through their art, and many works include deeper meanings and symbology within more obvious narratives.

In this article, we'll take a look at some well-known paintings and examine at how artists have communicated this deep-rooted, passionate emotion in a static medium. We'll look at various themes that are often used to symbolise love and affection, examining certain symbols that may not be so familiar to a contemporary audience, but will help you appreciate these paintings on a deeper level.

Symbols of Love in Paintings

Honeysuckle

Pictured Above: Honeysuckle Bower, Peter Paul Rubens, Oil on Canvas, c. 1609

Honeysuckle is a climbing plant which grows by clinging to walls and fences, and has been used as a symbol of love and generosity throughout history. Its strong hold of its habitat often resonated with artists as representing feelings of loyalty and devotion, while its small-blossoming, highly-scented flowers represent beauty, gentility, and the blossoming feelings of love. Old tales and superstitions alleged that honeysuckle flowers were lucky and could protect your garden from evil! 

In the self-portrait painting above, entitled 'Honeysuckle Bower', Peter Paul Rubens has surrounded himself and his new wife with honeysuckle. They tenderly hold each other's right hand, representing the union of marriage. They're relaxed and comfortable with each other, sitting in a garden blooming with flowers. Rubens leans towards his love with legs crossed, implying he is relaxed and in love, however, if you look closely, Rubens has his left hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to defend his love and marriage and protect his bride  – depicting himself to be a true aristocratic gentleman. This painting is very different from the usual 17th century formal marriage paintings of the time.

Strawberries

Pictured Above: Madonna amid the Strawberries, Unknown Master of the Upper Rhineland, Tempera on Wood, c. 1420

In Ancient Rome, strawberries were considered to be the symbol of ‘Venus’, the goddess of love. Because of their bright red colour, sweet taste, and many exterior seeds, they also became a symbol of fertility. They were believed to be an aphrodisiac and if two people split a strawberry, they would fall in love!

During the Mediaeval Era, strawberries were often carved into Christian church altars and cathedral pillars as a symbol of righteousness and perfection. Across mediaeval Europe, strawberries were used in many paintings depicting the Virgin Mary and the Resurrection of Christ, as well as in the illuminations on manuscripts. Their three leaves represented the Holy Trinity – The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit – their fruits were drops of Christ's blood, and the five pure white petals of their flowers represented the five wounds of the passion. 

Apples

Pictured Above: The Judgement of Paris, Peter Paul Rubens, Oil on Panel, c. 1638–1639

Apples are also used in many religious paintings, representing a symbol of love, desire and abundance. In Norse mythology, apples were eaten to ward off disease and retain beauty, while in Chinese culture apple blossoms represented adoration.

The story from Greek mythology 'The Judgement of Paris' was of great inspiration to Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens. In the story, Paris of Troy was tasked with choosing the fairest goddess at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. Paris chose the goddess of fertility, Aphrodite, having been bribed by her by offering him Helen of Sparta. As Paris took her back with him to the city of Troy, Helen's husband, Menelaus, was so incensed that the Greeks begun an invasion for her return. This, according to Greek myth, was the even that sparked the Trojan war.

Rubens would use this story in a series of paintings to depict his ideal of the female form from various angles, alongside the consequences unforeseen consequences that can come from passion and love.

Dogs

Pictured Above: The Arnolfini Portrait (or The Arnolfini Wedding), Jan van Eyck, Oil on Panel, 1434

A dog pictured in a 15th-century engagement painting would represent the loyalty and faithfulness of the couple's bond for each other, and would usually be painted at the feet of the happy couple. A fine example of this can be seen in the painting ‘The Arnolfini Portrait’ by Jan van Eyck, painted circa 1434. Dogs could also be used to symbolise wealth, which can also be seen through other objects within the painting, such as the large chandelier, an orange placed near the window, lavish fabrics, and interior furnishings. 

Doves

Pictured Above: Love's Messenger, Marie Spartali Stillman, Watercolour, 1885

Doves have long been associated with love and peace. Doves mate for a lifetime and, as a result, have come to symbolise fidelity, with two doves depicted together usually representing an eternal, everlasting love. Doves were considered sacred animals in Greek and Roman mythology, and later came to be a well-known Christian symbol of Christ's peace and love. Similarly, in Hindu tradition, the dove symbolises the heart’s limitless capacity for love. 

In the above painting, 'Love’s Messenger', there are many symbolic references to the theme of love, including the dove, roses and ivy, and a blind-folded cupid embroidery. Though Spartali Stillman modestly claimed that the painting was nothing more than a study from a model, the intricate use of romantic symbology begs to differ. The woman stands at an open window to receive the love letter brought by a dove. She clutches the letter to her heart, not yet opening it to read. Below her lies an unfinished embroidery depicting a blindfolded Cupid, perhaps suggesting the pain of Cupid's arrows that she feels as a result of being separated from her love. The symbology in this painting portrays a loyal, lasting love in full bloom, but also the pain that can come of it.

Spartali Stillman was a British painter of Greek descent and was a notable female artist during the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Spartali Stillman produced many works of art and contributed to many exhibitions in both Britain and the United States. She was inspired by Shakespeare, and the works of Petrarch, Dante, and Boccaccio.

Swans

Pictured Above: Lohengrin (or Swan King), Walter Crane, pencil and coloured chalk, 1895

In Greek and Roman mythology, the swan serves as a symbol of beauty, love, light and grace. The swan stood for the soul and was linked to Apollo, the god of the Sun. In other religions, some believe the swan is a feminine symbol of the moon. A popular depiction of love are two swans facing each other. Swans, like doves, mate for life, lending to the symbology of everlasting and enduring love. 

Walter Crane was an English artist and book illustrator, who acted as part of the Arts and Crafts movement, a movement which sought to produce lavish, decorative hand-crafted artwork in critique of industrialisation. As a member, Crane produced many paintings, illustrations, children’s books, ceramic tiles, wallpapers, and other decorative arts. 'Lohengrin', or 'Swan King', is a mediaeval tale about an Arthurian knight who comes in a swan-drawn boat to defend a damsel in distress, though she must never ask his name. It was adapted for the opera in 1848 by Richard Wagner, from which the traditional Bridal Chorus heard in many Western weddings is established. 

Crane's illustration depicts the knight Lohengrin, son of Percival, standing proudly atop a small boat pulled by swans, grasping a spear in one hand and a shield in the other. It is unclear whether the illustration depicts the start of the story, where he is approaching the maiden Elsa, or the end, where he is forced to leave his love after she asks the forbidden question. Regardless, the knight stands with a stoic posture, perhaps awaiting the meeting with his future love, or yearning to see her again, though he knows he never can. The swans drawing the boat could serve as a somewhat ironic depiction of their traditional symbology, as though they mate for life, a chance for devotion and loyalty is not afforded to Lohengrin and Elsa.

Music as a Metaphor for Love

Pictured Above: Dance in the Country,  Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Oil on Canvas, 1883

In Renoir’s painting ‘Dance in the Country’, a young couple have risen from their luncheon to dance in a tender embrace. The young woman holds an open fan, but there is no hiding her face from the complete blissfulness she is feeling as she looks out to the viewers with a broad smile. The romantic and energetic spirit of the painting is displayed in their body language, luminous warm palette, and saturated colours.

The ecstatic emotion that love brings is is also suggested via displayed of movement, such as in the gentleman's hat on the floor and the swish of fabric on the woman's dress. It is as though Renoir has painted the model Aline Charigot under a warm spotlight, making her appear almost angelic when contrasted by the dark hues of the gentleman’s suit and surrounding shrubbery. That Renoir made Charigot the centre of attention in this composition is probably no coincidence. Her longing gaze was probably for him as she was the woman who would later become his wife!

Pictured Above: The Scale of Love, Jean-Antoine Watteau, Oil on Canvas, c. 1717–1718

In the above painting by Watteau, 'The Scale of Love', there are many symbolic references to represent love, the act of flirtation, and lovers. He makes reference to the musical scale in the title, in terms of the many stages of flirting and seduction. He paints a musician totally captivated by the young maiden sitting at his feet and she with him. The warm palette is comforting and harmonious, with the use of pink satine, red velvet and russet browns prominent and almost tactile in their detailed application. 

Framed by trailing vines, leaves and trees, the painting suggests a degree of intimacy and perhaps a private meeting. The bust behind the musician's head is thought to be of Pythagoras, who is credited with discovering a musical scale based upon a mathematical ratio. The musical instrument takes the central point of the composition with all diagonal references leading you to this. Perhaps implying that music is the food of love?

There are other figures in this painting, one couple are leaving, possibly referencing a future version of the same couple. Another couple sit further away from the others and can be seen in the distance on the right of the painting. The group sat behind the musician are deep in their own discussions whilst the child is resting on the lap of a woman, maybe listening to the sweet music playing. In a similar engraving of lovers by Watteau where children are depicted, it is implied that they may be the fruits of tender love. 

Flowers of Love

Bouquets

Pictured Above: Birthday, Marc Chagall, Oil on Cardboard, 1915

Marc Chagall used many flower bouquets in his paintings of lovers as a celebration of love and passion. However, in turn, he also used them to represent grief and loss. In his painting ‘Bouquet with Flying Lovers’, painted in the mid 1930s, we see two lovers hovering behind a large vase of flowers, roses and Lilies, whilst an angel flies in from the window. Chagall’s wife had recently died before he started to re-paint this picture, which took him many years to complete. Chagall’s work is not confined to traditional Western perspective or sensibilities of scale. Instead he provides us with sensual, magical narratives, bursting with colour, floating lovers, animals, and iconic places drifting through the sky like music notes floating away.

Roses

Roses are one of the most universal symbols of love and passion. Also known as ‘the Queen of Flowers’, the reds in the petals represents a passionate love and physical desire, while the pink of the petals represents infatuation and true love. Yellow represents friendship and a joyful love and white, depicts a divine or an innocent and pure love. The painting below will provide a different perspective on the use of Roses with a most unusual narrative.

Pictured Above: The Roses of Heliogabalus, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Oil on Canvas, 1888

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema in his painting ‘The Roses of Heliogabalus’ describes an event that took place during the short reign of Heliogabalus, an infamous Roman Emperor. Heliogabalus, also known as Elagabalus, reigned between the years AD 218 and 222. He was so controversial and hated for his notorious decadence and debauchery that at the young age of 18 he was assassinated by his own family and succeeded by his 13 year old brother, Severus Alexander.

At first blush, the guests of this classically-themed painting seem to be showered with roses and rose petals during an elaborate party. So the story goes, Heliogabalus once held a banquet so decadent that flower petals were rained upon his guests, leading to some being smothered to dead. In this exquisitely painted scene, Alma-Tadema has used rose petals as a symbol of lust and desire as stated in the Victorian language of flowers and meanings. It is believed in reality – that is if this event did occur, which is disputed – that violets were used. However, in Victorian society, violets represented faithfulness and modesty, which would've given viewers an inaccurate impression of the event. 

The young emperor, adorned in golden silk robes, looks on at the suffocating party-goers and continues to nonchalantly drink his wine, as their suffering is now his entertainment! Morality and propriety have been challenged and are ultimately punished by death; lust smothered by the rose petals. When this painting was exhibited in 1888 at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, it was very popular for its luscious depiction of one of Roman history's most sordid anecdotes.

Sunflowers

Pictured Above: Sunflowers, Vincent van Gogh, Oil on Canvas, 1888

Sunflowers that follow the sun are used to symbolise foolish love, passion, and infatuation. Many still associate sunflowers with worship and adoration, symbolising unwavering faith and unconditional love.

Van Gogh painted sunflowers repeatedly, often utilising newly-invented yellow pigments to represent the brilliant golden hues of their petals. The famous sunflowers in a vase painting has five variations, now resting in museums across the world. Van Gogh liked sunflowers for their rougher appearance compared to other flowers popular in the still life world. In fact, after his untimely death, many of his friends brought sunflowers to his funeral.

Shells

Pictured Above: The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli, Tempera on Canvas, c. 1484–1486

Shell and conch shells are associated with Aphrodite and Venus, the Greek and Roman goddesses of love. 'The Birth of Venus' by Sandro Botticelli famously depicted the Roman goddess of love arriving on shore fully grown atop a giant scallop shell.  Seashells have come to represent the protectiveness and journey of love and their hard casing protects the precious pearl that grows inside the shell of a mollusc.

The Kiss - The Ultimate Symbol of Love and Affection

Pictured Above: The Kiss (originally titled The Lovers), Gustav Klimt, Oil and Gold Leaf on Canvas, c. 1907–1908

Our final painting for this article can be none other than ‘The Kiss’ by Gustav Klimt. Klimt was an Austrian symbolist painter, taking influences from the Art Nouveau style and the Arts and Crafts movement. He served as a key member of the Vienna Secession movement.

Klimt depicts a couple locked in a passionate embrace, both wearing beautifully-decorated ornate robes, kneeling on the verge of a colourful flowering garden or meadow. Love, intimacy and romance are recurring and common themes found in Gustav Klimt’s work. The man wears a crown of vines, while the woman wears a crown of flowers. This painting is more akin to a Japanese print with its simple central format, rather than providing the spectator with a composition structured with traditional western perspective. A simple background ensures the focus on the entwined lovers is uninterrupted. 

We'd Love to See What You Create!

We hope this article has deepened your knowledge of how different symbols of love have been used in art throughout history, and that from here you can begin utilising them within your own artistic practice. If you post your work on social media, don't forget to use the tag #ColouringTheNation so that we can see your lovely artwork!