Symbolists did not resort to landscapes as much as artists of other “big” styles, like realism or impressionism. The reason is that the message of symbolists was harder to convey through depicting nature. Realist landscapes, for instance, are lifelike and understandable – they portray the type rather than a peculiar character.

Romantic landscapes are just the background for depicting the eternal struggle between man and nature, man and time, between the moral imperative and passion etc. Impressionist landscapes do not as much depict sceneries as the first impression they produce – the portrayal is ephemeral, vibrant, no details, just light as the main character – the patches of light in the grass, flickering of light on the leaves and in the dew drops. Symbolists view the world as a screen that hides the trandescent spiritual reality which cannot be observed but can be felt and cognized through emotions and intuition. This reality shows itself through symbols that are to be observed, noticed and interpreted. This message is better conveyed in portraits, allegorical paintings, religious, mythological and literary scenes. Still symbolists did paint landscapes in their eagerness to grasp the riddles of the universe. In their paintings you will enjoy the contrast of light and darkness (symbolic, of course), the hypnotic effect of twilights and sunsets, the enhanced associative properties and allegoric images, a peculiar treatment of the four elements – water, fire, air and soil. In symbolist paintings the sky and the sea are not part of the landscape, not the picturesque background, but rather single, self-sufficing characters, symbols that lead you closer to the truth which human mind is powerless to decipher. You need to analyze the role of each image in the composition to find the message behind it. This mystery, the presence of the other spiritual world lay down advanced demands regarding the colour scheme and the draughtsmanship. Symbolist landscapes are vague, obscure, stylized, creating the feeling of evasion, unspoken ideas and allusions. The picture is “flat”, since the light and shadow principles are expressly neglected – this symbolizes the defiance of rationality, the earthly origins of the scenes presented. The colours are faded and vastly symbolic. Generally the likeness of representation is not the first thing to look for in a symbolic landscape – it should enchant you and create the atmosphere of mystery, induce the feeling of belonging to some supreme universal spiritual beauty.