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Visual Atlas

The language of symbols.

Identify a figure Browse the index
Attribute cabinet

Two keys identify Saint Peter. In Perugino’s fresco, Christ gives them to him at the centre of the piazza.

See Saint Peter
The keys
Pietro Perugino
The keys
Identification desk

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Choose up to three clues to find figures in the collection that share them all.

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Symbol index

Results · 73
Animals · Symbols

Lion

Daniel in the lions' den or symbol of Mark the Evangelist

Saint Mark writing the Gospel with the lion
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How to recognise it

Lion evokes Daniel in the den or Mark the Evangelist.

Daniel in a den narrative; Mark with book and lion symbol.

Associated figures

Looking guides

Study symbols by theme

Most Recognizable

Beginner Symbol Guide

Martyrdom Clues

Animals & Their Meaning

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How to read an image
  1. Look at what the figure holds and how it is used.
  2. Study the clothes. A habit, armour or dalmatic can help establish a role.
  3. Compare the object and the clothing with the action in the scene.