Allegory - A Knight's Dream - Vision of a Knight

Raphael Sanzio

1504-1505

In this painting a Laurel tree divides the scene into two different outcomes. The sleeping knight represents the Roman general Scipio Africanus (236 - 184 BC)  in a dream where he is deciding to choose between Venus (pleasure) and Minerva (Virtue).

Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom as well as a sponsor of arts, trade, and defense. Behind her is a clear path which symbolizes dutiful work that leads to a castle. 
Venus, in the looser robes, is the Roman goddess of love, and behind whom is a steeper, rockier path that leads to the sea. 

The items held by the two represent their ideals: the book and sword suggest the ideals of scholarship, law, and defense. The flower suggest the ideals of a lover. The knight contemplates both as he daydreams. 

The most likely source for the allegory depicted is from a passage in the Punica, an epic poem recounting the Second Punic War (also known as the war against Hannibal) by the Latin poet Silius Italicus. 

Minerva - Elihu Vedder (1836–1923) Library of Congress

In the sky the clouds of disaster and discouragement are rolled away, and the sun begins to emerge. Although Minerva’s shield and helmet have been laid upon the ground, the goddess still holds a long, two-headed spear, showing that she never relaxes her vigilance. "Not unwilling, Minerva raises a monument more lasting than bronze"    

 

The Birth of Venus - Sandro Botticelli - 1485 

Based on an ode by Hesiod, the painting shows the aftermath of Venus's creation, pushed along by the Gods of the winds, Zephyr and Aura, who, on the first day of Creation, elevated this shell bearing Venus' from the unknown depths of the sea. One of the Graces, in the name of all three, is there to cover her with her cape.  The shore she is landing on is very rugged and already has tall laurel and myrtle trees. 

The Three Graces - Raphael Sanzio 1504-1505

The second of these small paintings done congruently by Raphael shows the three graces holding a apple which is said to symbolize a reward for the young knight for choosing virtue over pleasure. 

Allegory of the four elements

“Allegory of the Four Elements” by Mark Ryden 2006 

1. The girl with the white dress: Air   

      Zodiac signs: Aquarius, Gemini, Libra

2. Girl with red dress: Fire      
      Zodiac signs:  Leo, Aries, Sagittarius

3. Girl with yellow dress: Earth. 

      Zodiac signs: Virgo, Capricorn and Taurus.

4. Girl with brown dress: Water.   
      Zodiac signs: Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio 

Each has the alchemical symbol for their respective element(earth, water, fire, air) on their dress. In alchemy   stands for mercury and can be seen on the teapot. Mercury is a hermetic representations between the high and low (Paracelus - 1493-1541). Ryden's past works indicate he is fond of Hermeritc symbolism. Mercury is also a Roman adaptation of Hermes the Greek god of transitions and boundaries, an intercessor between mortals and the divine, and conductor of souls into the afterlife. 

C,F,M is written on the chests of the children in the nest and stands for for Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable.

The word "cardinal" comes from the French "cardo" meaning a hinge, that on which something turns. It is the most important part. The cardinal directions are the north, south, east and west. They are the times when the seasons change. Aries for Spring; Cancer for Summer; Libra for Autumn; and Capricorn for Winter. They therefore are times for a new beginning.
In Astrology, the cardinal signs are the first, fourth, seventh and tenth (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn). These signs are characterised by enterprise, or starting things.

The word "fixed" means securely placed and fastened and implies unchanging. In Astrology, the fixed signs are the second, fifth, eighth and eleventh (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius). They are characterised by the keyword "stability" or firm and dependable.

The word "mutable" means "subject to change". The mutable signs are the third, sixth, ninth and twelfth (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces). The keyword for these is "adaptability". The bee is a common element in Ryden's work.but in this case it might represent industry, specifically the logging industry at work. 

From an interview with the artist:  How did this latest series come into being? Well, it just started to happen, I felt myself being pulled towards trees, and more specifically California trees, the Sequoias. There are so many different aspects to the subject of trees but initially I was interested in how trees have had such a prominent place in religion, mythology, and are truly connected with our human history. Trees are living extensions of the world's soul.

They are almost ancient, mythical entities living amongst us. I was interested in the paradox of how these giant Sequoias inspire spiritual awe in some people, while other people just want to chop 'em down and cut 'em up. [Laughter.]

Describe the creative process that led up to this latest exhibit. For "The Tree Show," I acquired so many books on trees and tree mythology and folklore. Usually, I fill up my head with information and then I start to sketch. I have piles and piles of drawings, quick little ideas on paper.

The formula reproduces exactly the essential features of the symbolic process of transformation. It shows the rotation of the mandala, the antithetical play of complementary (or compensatory) processes, then the apocatastasis, i.e., the restoration of an original state of wholeness, which the alchemists expressed through the symbol of the uroboros, and finally the formula repeats the ancient alchemical tetrameria, which is implicit in the fourfold structure of unity. 

What the formula can only hint at, however, is the higher plane that is reached through the process of transformation and integration. The 'sublimation' or progress or qualitative change consists in an unfolding of totality into four parts four times, which means nothing less than its becoming conscious. When psychic contents are split up into four aspects, it means that they have been subjected to discrimination by the four orienting functions of consciousness. Only the production of these four aspects makes a total description possible. The process depicted by our formula changes the originally unconscious totality into a conscious one

Finson Louisc - Allegory of the Four elements 

1611

Personifications of the Four Elements were conventionally depicted as four females distinguished only by their attributes. Louis Finson, however, used a different type of presentation; the elements as male and female, entangled in a fierce struggle. Fire (upper right) is depicted as a strong, young man surrounded by flames. He is in a firm grip with Water (lower left) and holding Air (upper left) down. Air, an almost floating woman, is literary pushed up in the air by water. She grabs fire by his hair and at the same time holding him back with her right leg. Water, a bearded, older but very strong man is seated with his knees up and surrounded by small waves. He tries to push the element of Earth away with his feet. Earth (lower right) is depicted as an older lady lying on her back and grabbing the chest of water. She is surrounded by brown earth and tries to grip Fire by his left leg, who carefully steps over her.