High schoolers examine how allegory is defined and used in the visual arts. They create a list of the arts, and list the objects, symbols, and figures that suggest each art category, analyze various paintings, and identify the...

Students define allegory and discuss its use in the visual arts, examine paintings from various time periods and identify allegorical themes in them, and explain what makes an image allegorical.

Students define allegory and discuss its use in visual arts. They identify and explain allegorical themes in a number of images.

In this visual allegory worksheet, students complete the provided graphic organizer that requires them to list details about examples of allegory in paintings. 

Introduce your class members to allegory and propaganda with a series of activities designed to accompany a study of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Readers examine the text as an allegory, consider the parallels to collective farms...

Students research the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya and his use of fantasy and allegory in his artwork. After reading either classic or contemporary fantasy stories, they discuss how Goya might have illustrated the stories. Students...

Students analyze the painting Jan Brueghel and design their own book. In this art and book lesson, students discuss the elements of fantasy from the painting and create their own book. Students illustrate the book and create a painting...

Students use combinations of real and imaginary objects to create illustrations for a book.  In this Fantasy in art lesson, students discuss the elements of fantasy in Allegory of Air.  Students study the work of Salvador Dali...

Studenets are told that Peter Paul Rubens was born on June 28, 1577, in Siegen, Germany. They create their own allegorical painting, think of a favorite story. Students write a summary of one scene in that story, using Crayola Erasable...

Here is a nice set of activities and discussion questions to accompany your class reading of No Pretty Pictures, a memoir of a young girl's experiences and struggle for survival during the Holocaust.

Read about allegory in visual art and view several examples of allegorical paintings. Click on the title of each piece of work to enlarge the image.

An image of "Allegory of Painting and Sculpture", created by Guercino in 1637 (Oil on canvas, 114 x 139 cm).

An image of "Pictura (An Allegory of Painting)", created by Frans van Mieris the Elder in 1661 (Oil on copper).

An image of "Allegory of Painting", created by Francois Boucher in 1765 (Oil on canvas, 102 x 130 cm).

The title of Courbet's painting "The Artist's Studio; A real allegory summing up seven years of my artistic and moral life" contains a contradiction: the words "real" and "allegory" have opposing meanings. Is it possible that Courbet is...

This site provides links to images of some of Piero Di Cosimo's famous works including his frescoes in the Sistine Chapel.

Brief biography with links to large, clear images of some of his works.

An image of "Allegory of the Freedom of Trade", created by Gerard De Lairesse in 1672 (Ceiling painting).