What’s the Apple Doing in Art History?

We live, perhaps surprisingly to some, in a world of apples. A humble fruit with a lot to offer! From the Garden of Eden to contemporary art, the apple appears in numerous artworks, often carrying a wide range of meanings. For instance, it symbolizes temptation, fertility, or wisdom – the apple is not only a staple in our diet ("an apple a day keeps the doctor away"), but also a true multi-talent in the realm of art.

I have always been fascinated by hidden meanings in images and symbols. This interest led me to write an article about the meanings of mirrors in art last year. The deeper I delved into my research, the more intriguing it became. Naturally, I decided to explore more symbols. It took a bit of time, but – ta-da – today is the day! The symbol I'm focusing on this time is the apple.

Through Myths and Legends: The Apple as a Symbolic Fruit

In religion and mythology, the apple plays a central role in several significant stories.

In the tale of the golden apples of the Hesperides, the apple represents immortality and eternal youth. These apples granted the gods precisely that. Hera received the tree bearing these apples as a wedding gift and entrusted it to the nymphs. They, along with the dragon Ladon, guarded it in their garden. The demigod Heracles, tasked with twelve nearly impossible labors as punishment (a different story altogether), had to steal them. In doing so, he attained immortality and became a god.

The legend surrounding the "Apple of Discord" thrown by Paris is tied to the events leading up to the Trojan War. Eris, the goddess of discord, threw a golden apple inscribed with "For the Fairest" among the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Not invited to the wedding and looking to stir trouble, Eris succeeded in igniting a dispute among the goddesses over who deserved the apple. To avoid the fallout, Zeus passed the decision to a mortal: Paris, the prince of Troy. The goddesses tried to bribe him with power, heroic fame, and love. Paris chose the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, awarding the "Apple of Discord" to Aphrodite – and thus Helen, already married, entered the scene. The ensuing events are chronicled in Homer's Iliad*. Here, the apple symbolizes beauty, vanity, and conflict.

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In the biblical story of Adam and Eve, the apple symbolizes temptation and sin, but also knowledge and enlightenment. In the Book of Genesis, the serpent tempts Eve to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve then shares the fruit with Adam – this act is often interpreted as a symbolic representation of sexual temptation and the discovery of sexuality. Consequently, both are banished from the Garden of Eden. Although the Bible does not explicitly name the apple – it simply refers to a "fruit" – it has become established in Christian art and literature as a symbol of the Fall and the loss of innocence, as well as human susceptibility to temptation.

In Celtic mythology, the apple tree is considered sacred and is associated with love, fertility, and magic. The island of Avalon, whose name derives from the Celtic word for apple, "Aval," is depicted in Arthurian legend as a mystical place of healing and eternal youth. In many Celtic tales, the apple is viewed as a magical fruit with healing powers and the ability to bestow eternal life.

In Norse mythology, the apple also represents youth and immortality. The goddess Idun guards golden apples, which are essential for the gods to maintain their youth and strength.

But the apple is not only found in mythological and religious tales. In European history, the orb, a part of the royal regalia, symbolizes the worldly power and authority of the monarch. It represents secular authority derived from divine right.

In many cultures, the apple is also a symbol of love, fertility, or sexuality. For example, in Slavic folklore, there is a love custom where an apple is cut in half and shared between lovers to strengthen their bond and promote fertility.

The Chinese word for apple, "píngguǒ," sounds similar to the word for peace, "píng'ān." As a result, apples are often given as gifts to promote peace and good relationships.

In the poems of the Persian poet Hafez, the apple is used to describe the beauty and desire of lovers. The red color and sweet taste of the apple are equated with passion and longing in love. The apple tree, a source of protection and nourishment, symbolizes eternal love and steadfastness.

In the story of Cú Chulainn, a hero of Irish mythology, an apple plays a crucial role in choosing his beloved Emer.

The Complexity of the Apple: Why It Is Such a Versatile Symbol

But the symbolic power of the apple is far from exhausted. In many cultures, the perfect spherical shape of the apple is seen as an expression of wholeness and harmony. It represents perfection, or even the universe itself. The apple also symbolizes femininity, standing for both the earthly and the divine feminine, such as in the form of Mother Earth.
The apple tree symbolizes the cycle of life, and its fruits represent not only youth but also transience.

How is it that some of the meanings of the apple seem diametrically opposed?

Symbols are inherently ambiguous and have the capacity to carry multiple meanings simultaneously – even to the point of contradiction (Viennese neurologist Sigmund Freud famously wrote an essay on this, "The Antithetical Meaning of Primal Words"). The apple can symbolize both love and discord, innocent beauty and vanity, immortality, and transience. This ambiguity allows the apple to adopt different meanings in various contexts. Each culture and era has developed its own interpretations and significances based on its specific myths, legends, and religious beliefs.

For example, ancient religions and mythologies were often tied to natural cycles and rhythms of life. They celebrated life, nature, and transitions, known as rites of passage. Rituals and festivals were meant to mark the seasons, the harvest, or the transition to the afterlife.

In contrast, traditional Christianity developed a highly codified ethic and moral system over the centuries, based on the teachings of Jesus and the commandments of the Bible. It places special emphasis on concepts like sin, redemption, and the Last Judgment, highlighting the consequences of sin, including punishment in the form of hell or damnation. As a result, the apple is often viewed negatively in Christianity, whereas it holds positive connotations in ancient mythologies and other religions.

The meanings of symbols can also change and evolve over time. A symbol that had a particular meaning in one era may take on a completely different meaning in another. This fluidity allows symbols to remain relevant and adaptable, reflecting the changing values, beliefs, and experiences of different cultures and time periods.

Gallery: The Apple in Art

In Caravaggio's painting Bacchus, the apple, along with other fruits and wine, symbolizes abundance and plenty. The Roman god of wine and ecstasy represents enjoyment and zest for life, but also intoxication and madness.

The opulence of the painting displays enticing pleasures, sensuality, and temptation, symbolized by the apple. Caravaggio uses the apple to indicate the cycle of life. Alongside a plump, fresh apple lies a worm-eaten one. Another is already decayed, and next to it is a split pomegranate. Caravaggio thereby points to the passage of time, transience, and the fleeting nature of pleasure.

In many paintings of the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, an apple is also present. Here, the apple, as in depictions of Adam and Eve (see above), refers to the Fall of Man and original sin, but in a different context. Mary is seen as the "new Eve" and Jesus as the "new Adam," who has come to redeem humanity from its sins through his sacrifice.

Mary, who was born without original sin, and her son, who is free from sin, are pure and innocent, as symbolized by the apple. When the Christ Child holds the apple, it signifies the divine wisdom and knowledge that Jesus brought into the world. Therefore, the apple also represents divine insight and wisdom that lead to redemption.

Portrait with Apples by August Macke depicts his wife Elizabeth with a bowl of apples. This painting is characteristic of Macke's style, featuring his use of vibrant colors and simple, clear forms.

At the time the painting was created, Elisabeth Macke was pregnant. The apples symbolize fertility and new life. Thus, Macke portrays not only the outer appearance of his wife but also her inner reality and the changes in her life. The careful manner in which Elisabeth holds the bowl of apples could also hint at the care and protection of the new life she carries within her.

The renowned French painter Paul Cézanne was fascinated by the form, color, and simplicity of the apple, often incorporating it into his works. While there is no exact count, it is estimated that he created over 200 still lifes, many of which feature apples as a central motif (see cover image above). He is even reputed to have said, "With an apple, I want to astonish Paris." – and he certainly succeeded!

Cézanne's still lifes are distinguished by their meticulous composition. Particularly notable are the often intricately draped tablecloths and napkins, whose folds and shapes sometimes resemble Mont Sainte-Victoire, a mountain near Cézanne's home in Aix-en-Provence, which was also a frequent subject of his paintings.

On the surface, however, Cézanne was not primarily concerned with the symbolic meaning of the apple when choosing this motif. By repeatedly depicting apples, he could explore the essential principles of painting such as form, space, and perspective. He viewed the apple not just as a fruit, but as a complex object.

Nevertheless, the apple in Cézanne's still lifes also represents nature and the simple life in the countryside.

One of the most famous depictions of an apple in art history is surely the painting The Son of Man by René Magritte. Like his artwork Ceci n'est pas une pipe, it plays with our perception. Regarding his motivation, Magritte once said, "Everything we see hides another thing; we always want to see what is hidden by what we see."

The Son of Man is likely a self-portrait. At least, the appearance in the painting matches the artist's style of dress. Magritte also wore a suit and bowler hat. However, this cannot be stated with certainty, as the apple obscures part of the man's face, representing Magritte's central thesis that everything we see hides something else. The apple thus becomes a symbol of concealment, stimulating human curiosity and the desire to uncover what is hidden.

The familiarity of the apple makes it an effective tool for conveying the complex philosophical idea. The apple, as a biblical symbol of temptation and knowledge, aligns with Magritte's intent to prompt the viewer to think beyond the obvious. Additionally, the title The Son of Man has a strong religious connotation, referencing the biblical term "Son of Man."

How the Apple Shapes Our Language

The apple is deeply rooted in many cultures and has found its way into numerous idioms that reflect its symbolic meaning and ubiquity in human life. In Germany, for instance, there is the saying "Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm" (The apple doesn't fall far from the tree), meaning that children resemble their parents. Other examples include "In den sauren Apfel beißen" (to bite the bullet), "Jemanden veräppeln" (to fool someone), or "Äpfel und Birnen vergleichen" (to compare apples and oranges).

There are also examples of this in other languages:

English:

"The apple of my eye." – Someone who is greatly cherished.

"One bad apple spoils the whole barrel." – A bad influence can ruin an entire group.

French:

"Tomber dans les pommes." (literally: to fall into the apples) – To faint.

"Croquer la pomme." (literally: to bite into the apple) – To succumb to temptation.

Spanish:

"Ser más sano que una manzana." – To be very healthy (literally: to be healthier than an apple).

"La manzana de la discordia." – The cause of disputes (literally: the apple of discord).

Italian:

"Cadere come una mela matura." – To fall or die unexpectedly (literally: to fall like a ripe apple).

Dutch:

"Een appeltje voor de dorst." – To save something for the future (literally: a little apple for the thirst).

"Voor een appel en een ei." – To get something very cheaply (literally: for an apple and an egg).

These idioms highlight the widespread cultural significance of the apple, demonstrating its influence on language and expression across various cultures.

Windfall or icon?

I can't end my article without mentioning Isaac Newton. We all know the legend: Newton was sitting under an apple tree, an apple fell on his head, and he realized the principle of gravity – a moment that revolutionized science.

Of course, the story didn't actually happen that way. But why was an apple chosen for this story? It could just as easily have been a pear, a plum, or a nut. The story would have worked just the same. The apple stands for knowledge and the acquisition of insight, beautifully underscoring the story.

Incidentally, there was also a rather intense legal dispute between the Beatles and Apple Inc. over the name "Apple." But to paraphrase Michael Ende: that is another story and shall be told another time. Today, we most commonly encounter the (symbolic) apple while shopping, where it stands for organic farming and healthy nutrition.

Would you have thought that so much could be contained in a simple apple? What do you associate with an apple? Let me know in the comments.