What Did Animals Symbolize in Art?
When it comes to art, certain animals are known to symbolize certain faults or strength in humans. For instance the bat is a symbol for night. But in the Western society, it is a symbol of something evil. We would connect bats to vampires. However, in a country like China, a bat is a symbol of good luck and long life. The early Christians considered bats to be birds of the Devil as they bear a strong resemblance to rats and they are nocturnal. Thus, bats were considered to be symbol of fear of the powers that darkness and chaos had. Albrecht Durer created an engraving entitled Melencholia I in 1514 that shows a bat with open wings. The name of the engraving means the first state of melancholy. Likewise toads are seen as creatures that are unclean. Because a toad ejects a poison that irritates the eyes and skin, it is viewed as a symbol of death. In fact, in mythology, toads are animals that are connected with the Devil. There is reference about toads in the Bible as one of the plagues
