An analysis of symbolic associations in the Arts based on open data

Sofia Baroncini, Leibniz Institute of European History (Germany) Bruno Sartini, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), Munich, Germany Marilena Daquino, University of Bologna, Italy AN ANALYSIS OF SYMBOLIC ASSOCIATIONS IN THE ARTS BASED ON OPEN DATA DH2025 SYMBOLS AS DESCRIBED BY DICTIONARIES (CONVENTIONAL SYMBOLISM) SYMBOLS AS DESCRIBED BY ART HISTORIANS IN ICONOLOGICAL INTERPRETATIONS Do symbols interpreted by art historians have an (un)conventional meaning? DATASETS HyperReal (Sartini et al. 2021) Conventional symbolic associations Iconology Dataset (Baroncini 2024) authoritative humancurated dataset of art historians’ interpreations Do symbols interpreted by art historians have an (un)conventional meaning? ca. 40000 simulations (i.e., pairs of symbols and symbolic meanings) automatically extracted from dictionaries of symbols https://br0ast.github.io/simula tionontology/ Interpretations of about 400 Middle Ages and Renaissance Western artworks, mostly made by Erwin Panofsky Manually curated dataset https://iconologydataset.streamlit.app/ Simulation: Cupid-love Symbol: Cupid Symbolic meaning: Love Sartini, B., van Erp, M., & Gangemi, A. (2021). Marriage is a Peach and a Chalice: Modelling Cultural Symbolism on the Semantic Web. Proceedings of the 11th on Knowledge Capture Conference, 201–208. https://doi.org/10.1145/3460210.3493552 Baroncini, S. (2024). Diving into artworks interpretations through the lenses of semantic data: An application on Panofsky’s iconological studies [Doctoral Thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna]. https://doi.org/10.48676/unibo/amsdottorato/11312 METHODOLOGY Extraction of simulations from HyperReal 41.756 simulations, composed of 11.740 symbols and 18.747 symbolic meanings Extraction of symbolism from the Iconology Dataset 84 artworks 168 simulations 150 symbols 144 symbolic meanings Exact and fuzzy string matching to detect common symbols and symbolic meanings 38 symbolic meanings and 58 symbols in common combined in 35 (Iconology dataset) and 78 simulations (HyperReal) RESULTS Analysis of shared and not shared simulations https://zenodo.org/ records/14260656 ox-christ ox-christox-christ ox-christ ox-christ Christian ChristianChristian Christian Christian dove-holySpirit dove-holySpiritdove-holySpirit dove-holySpirit dove-holySpirit Heraldic HeraldicHeraldic Heraldic Heraldic dog-envy dog-envydog-envy dog-envy dog-envy general generalgeneral general general deer-souls deer-soulsdeer-souls deer-souls deer-souls lion-fury lion-furylion-fury lion-fury lion-fury threeHeads-threeFormsOfTimePastPresentAndFuture threeHeads-threeFormsOfTimePastPresentAndFuturethreeHeads-threeFormsOfTimePastPresentAndFuture threeHeads-threeFormsOfTimePastPresentAndFuture threeHeads-threeFormsOfTimePastPresentAndFuture skull-deathPersonified skull-deathPersonifiedskull-deathPersonified skull-deathPersonified skull-deathPersonified dragonBitingItsTail-time dragonBitingItsTail-timedragonBitingItsTail-time dragonBitingItsTail-time dragonBitingItsTail-time mermaid-persuasion mermaid-persuasionmermaid-persuasion mermaid-persuasion mermaid-persuasion mirror-introspection mirror-introspectionmirror-introspection mirror-introspection mirror-introspection coneShell-fertility coneShell-fertilityconeShell-fertility coneShell-fertility coneShell-fertility myrtle-everlastingLove myrtle-everlastingLovemyrtle-everlastingLove myrtle-everlastingLove myrtle-everlastingLove rose-virginity rose-virginityrose-virginity rose-virginity rose-virginity ivy-eternalLove ivy-eternalLoveivy-eternalLove ivy-eternalLove ivy-eternalLove wolf-greed wolf-greedwolf-greed wolf-greed wolf-greed Chinese ChineseChinese Chinese Chinese blue-hueOfHeaven blue-hueOfHeavenblue-hueOfHeaven blue-hueOfHeaven blue-hueOfHeaven white-purity white-puritywhite-purity white-purity white-purity Islamic IslamicIslamic Islamic Islamic myrtle-love myrtle-lovemyrtle-love myrtle-love myrtle-love Egyptian EgyptianEgyptian Egyptian Egyptian dolphin-haste dolphin-hastedolphin-haste dolphin-haste dolphin-haste ixion-lewdness ixion-lewdnessixion-lewdness ixion-lewdness ixion-lewdness Greek GreekGreek Greek Greek fourWings-fourSeasons fourWings-fourSeasonsfourWings-fourSeasons fourWings-fourSeasons fourWings-fourSeasons Mithraic MithraicMithraic Mithraic Mithraic Sumero-Semitic Sumero-SemiticSumero-Semitic Sumero-Semitic Sumero-Semitic CONVENTIONAL MEANINGS 23 out of 35 simulations belonging to the Iconology Dataset are also in HyperReal Symbols of common simulations include: animals (9), plants/flowers (4), colours (2), objects (2), body parts (3), mythological creatures (2), and mythological/historical characters (1) The majority of the common simulations (18) have a general context of use → Panofsky identifies culturally independent meanings Conventional Meanings (left column) found in shared simulations between Panofsky and HyperReal, along with their cultural context (right column) as specified in HyperReal bear-anger bear-angerbear-anger bear-anger bear-anger Allegory of Good Counsel, Ripa Allegory of Good Counsel, RipaAllegory of Good Counsel, Ripa Allegory of Good Counsel, Ripa Allegory of Good Counsel, Ripa bull-christ bull-christbull-christ bull-christ bull-christ Mediaeval, Moralization Mediaeval, MoralizationMediaeval, Moralization Mediaeval, Moralization Mediaeval, Moralization dolphin-persuasion dolphin-persuasiondolphin-persuasion dolphin-persuasion dolphin-persuasion XVI Century XVI CenturyXVI Century XVI Century XVI Century hercules-egypt hercules-egypthercules-egypt hercules-egypt hercules-egypt Mediaeval MediaevalMediaeval Mediaeval Mediaeval sisyphus-pride sisyphus-pridesisyphus-pride sisyphus-pride sisyphus-pride tantalus-avarice tantalus-avaricetantalus-avarice tantalus-avarice tantalus-avarice apollo-idolatry apollo-idolatryapollo-idolatry apollo-idolatry apollo-idolatry bacco-folly bacco-follybacco-folly bacco-folly bacco-folly jupiter-pride jupiter-pridejupiter-pride jupiter-pride jupiter-pride mars-discord mars-discordmars-discord mars-discord mars-discord pluto-avarice pluto-avaricepluto-avarice pluto-avarice pluto-avarice fire-luxury fire-luxuryfire-luxury fire-luxury fire-luxury UNCONVENTIONAL MEANINGS 12 simulations are present in the Iconology Dataset but not in HyperReal Symbols include: deities (5), characters (3), animals (3), and one natural element (fire) recognized only in 4 artworks out of 24 The majority of the contexts registered refer to the Medieval period → The allegorical interpretation, typical of the Middle Ages, may be a filter between conventional knowledge and the actual interpretation Unconventional meanings found only in the Iconology Dataset ms. 742, Ovide Moralisé, circa 1390, Lyons, Bibliothèque de la Ville. The abduction of Europa, folio 40. Image license: CCBY-NC 3.0. https://portail.biblissima.fr/ark:/43 093/mdata5b0c43ce79f42d790ccc6 486227c4815d1f77565 Unconventional Simulation Context (from Iconology Dataset) CONTEXT Context of simulations in HyperReal shared and unshared with the Iconology Dataset across cultural contexts (from HyperReal) RESULTS Greco-Roman, Biblical, and Middle Ages contexts are not present in Panofsky’s recognitions → discrepancy between Panofsky’s areas of interest and conventional symbols traditionally associated with Western Art interpretations consider symbolism belonging to Chinese, Mithraic, and Sumero-Semitic cultural contexts → an unexpected link between Panofsky and Eastern cultures CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK FUTURE WORK Widen the study through more refined matching rules to find further correspondences Comparison of conventional symbolism with the one detected by iconological interpretations of art historians RESULTS Most of Panofsky’s interpretations of symbols and meanings, also present in HyperReal (65.7%), can be reconciled to conventional symbolism Even if artworks belong to a well-defined cultural context (Western Arts), symbolic interpretations may include references to different cultural contexts Medieval allegories have not yet been captured by conventional symbolism THANK YOU Sofia Baroncini, [email protected] Bruno Sartini, [email protected] Marilena Daquino, [email protected] DH2025 ANY QUESTIONS?