Symbolism

Hesiod and the Muse 1891; Oil on canvas,
 59 x 34.5 cm  , Gustave Moreau

Emile Bernard 

The symbolists were the first artists to be interested in the inner world with the emotions and thoughts instead of the external one. Private symbols are used to reach those inner feelings and to activate them. Dreams and visions mystical experiences, the erotic and the perverse were some of the subjects to create a physiological impact. Women are usually portrayed as either virginal/angelic or sexual/threatening, the symbols to represent death, disease and sin are frequent.

In 1886 in France jean moreas published the first announcement of symbolism in art in addition to poetry.

Young Woman in Kimono Reading, 1887, Emile Bernard

Maurice Denis

Symbolism embraced a wide variety of artists. Emile Bernard, Maurice Denis , Paul serusier , georges Seurat, Paul Gauguin, gustave Moreau...gustave Kahn described symbolism as objectifying the subjective instead of subjectifying the objective, in 1886. Pierre puvis de chavannes' idealist, abstracted attitude was welcomed for for it's neutral aesthetic sense.

Mary Visits Elizabeth. 1894 The Hermitage, St.Petersburg  ,
Maurice Denis

Adam and Eve , Denis

Moreau got the possibility to spread his work and gain popularity later. He introduced his sense with the help of the writer, j.k huysmans putting his paintings in his book. The symbolistic movement was born and labeled in France, yet it paced all over the world becoming international. James ensor for example from Belgium was admired with his work, fantasy, carnival masks, monstrous figures, skeletons.. Norwegian Edward munch on the other hand was another non-French symbolist mirrored generally subjects like, emotional crisis, tragedies, sexuality, disease and death. American Albert Pinkham Ryder took madness, death and alienation being influenced by sheakespeare, Poe, the bible and mythology.
Symbolism lead the way for new waves and combination of different movements. It was in interaction with art nouveau , surrealism, decadent art.

Paul Serusier

Daugters , Paul Serusier

Georges Seurat (1859 – 1891). Bathers at Asnières, 1884,

The Talisman by Paul Sérusier
(see Impressionism, also)

Georges Seurat

Gustave Moreau

Gustave Moreau Salomé 1876

La mort du fossoyeur ("The death of the gravedigger")
byCarlos Schwabe is a visual compendium of symbolist motifs.Death and angels, pristine snow,
and the dramatic poses of the characters all express symbolist longings
for transfiguration "anywhere, out of the world."