Flight of the Mind

Birds in Painting and Cinema

Birds have been used as symbols in art since the ancient world where they were considered sacred and represented a connection to the spiritual realm.  In painting, in both eastern and western culture, birds represent many qualities, including; freedom, beauty, wisdom, strength, and our connection to the natural world.

In the twentieth century, birds have appeared not only in painting, but in popular culture and the cinema. How has the symbolism of birds changed in modern times? What can we learn from it?

image: Crane Migration in Mikawashima, 1857 Utagawa Hiroshige