symbolismus

Symbolism, or Symbolismus in German, was a late 19th-century movement in poetry and the arts that stressed suggestion, mood, and the primacy of imagery over direct description. It arose in France in the 1880s as a reaction against naturalism and realism, and the term was popularized by Jean Moréas in his 1886 manifesto Le Symbolisme. The movement spread to Belgium, Russia, and other regions, influencing poetry, drama, prose, and the visual arts.

In literature, symbolists aimed to convey inner states and transcendent realities through symbols, metaphor, and musicality of language. Key French figures include Charles Baudelaire (often seen as a precursor), Stéphane Mallarmé, and Paul Verlaine, with Belgian Maurice Maeterlinck and Russian writers such as Dmitry Merezhkovsky, Zinaida Gippius, and Valery Bryusov playing prominent roles. Works tend to emphasize allusion, dream imagery, and an openness to ambiguity and the occult or mystical.

In the visual arts, painters such as Gustave Moreau and Odilon Redon pursued allegorical, mythological, and dreamlike subjects, using symbolic motifs and rich, often fantastical imagery. Symbolist ideas also influenced theatre, encouraging non-naturalistic stage presentation, allegory, and a focus on mood and atmosphere.

Legacy of Symbolism lies in its challenge to literal representation and its emphasis on interior life and symbolic meaning. It contributed to the broader modernist project and influenced later movements such as Decadence, Surrealism, and various strands of Expressionism, helping to forge cross-disciplinary links between literature, painting, and theatre.