Symbolism

well, Symbolism is an art movement which come from French and Belgium in the late 19th century. This art movement can be seen not only in painting, but in poetry and other arts, such as music and theatre.
The label "symbolist" itself comes from the Greek critic Jean Moréas, who coined it in order to distinguish the symbolists from the related decadent movement in literature and art.

Symbolists believed that art should aim to capture more absolute truths which can be accessed by indirect methods like putting some symbols to to tell something. So, they wrote in some highly metaphorical and suggestive manner, giving the particular images or objects with symbolic meaning.

symbol of freedom

 

Black Power logo (symbol of power)

symbol of man

symbol of woman