Perseus Academic: Dictionary of Subject and Symbols in Art by James Hall

The understanding and enjoyment of a work of art depends as much on the story it depicts as on the artist’s execution of it. But what were once biblical or classical commonplaces are not so readily recognizable today. This book relates in a succinct and readable way the themes, sacred and secular, on which the repertoire of Western art is based.

Here in a single volume are combined religious, classical, and historical themes, the figures of moral allegory, and characters from romantic poetry that established themselves through paintings and sculpture in Western art before and after the Renaissance. More than just a dictionary, this text places these subjects in their narrative, historical, or mythological context and uses extensive cross-referencing to enhance and clarify the meanings of these themes for the reader.

Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art has become an indispensable handbook for students and general appreciators to understand the subject matter of art, about the stories it tells and the people it portrays. Newly revised, this second edition includes an insert of images chosen by the author, also with a new preface and index that highlights the ideas, beliefs, and social and religious customs that form the background of much of this subject matter.

James A. Hall is a noted scholar and historian of art. Living in England, he is the author of several works, including The Illustrated Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Eastern and Western Art (Westview Press, 1996).