Symbolism was an artistic movement in the 19th century that originated from Belgian and French poetry. The movement has expanded to paintings, music, theatre, prose, literature and philosophy. It was a sort of reaction against two movements, the realism and naturalism that captures reality in rough particularity and elevating the humble and the ordinary against the ideal.
The Caress
It was known to be the extension of the mystical inclination in the Roman traditions and was narrowly aligned with the Decadent Movement. This art form is more of a philosophy than an actual art that influenced the Les Nabis and Art Nouveau movements.
There are several symbolist painters and sculptors that includes:
- George Frederic Watts (1817-1904)
- Leon Spilliaert (1882-1946)
- Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824-1898)
- Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918)
- Gustave Moreau (1826-1898)
- Jan Toorop (1858-1928)
- Arnold Böcklin (1827-1901)
- Gustav Klimt (1862-1918)
- Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904)
- Edvard Munch (1863-1944)
- Odilon Redon (1840-1916)
- Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer (1865-1953)
- John William Waterhouse (1849-1817)
- Jean Delville (1867-1953)
- Jacek Malczewski (1854-1929)
- Konstantin Bogaevsky (1872-1943)
- Félicien Rops (1855-1898)
- Hugo Simberg (1873-1917)
- Mikhail Vrubel (1856-1910)
- Mikalojus ?iurlionis (1875-1911)
- Fernand Khnopff (1858-1921)
- Emile Bernard (1868-1941)
- Franz Stuck (1863-1928)
(List taken from Wikipedia)