Blog no 1: THE POWER, PASSION AND SYMBOLISM OF THE POMEGRANATE
Published: 16 Aug, 2020

THE POWER OF THE POMEGRANATE

More than 3000 prints and paintings of pomegranates from artists around the world flood the internet daily. This passion to create another painting of the pomegranate reveals the powerful temptation to which the artist submits. The beauty of colour and shape of the fruit symbolizes hope.

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Through centuries the passion, power and symbolism resonate differently for each artist or viewer.

As soon as I put “Pomegranates for my Brother” on the exhibition easel, an elderly man walked into the room, fell in love with the painting and bought it.

His loving wife had a knee operation. They were married nearly fifty years and he wanted to give her something special, because they already had everything they needed. Flowers would wither. While she was in hospital, he hanged the artwork for her in their bedroom.

The passion between them was tangible. The artwork was the symbol of their love and strengthened the hope for many more years together.

THE POWER OF THE IMAGINATION

My brother prefers still lives to any other forms of artwork. While painting the Pomegranates for my Brother, I could smell Ouma’s Laventelbos. I relived the sunsets and remembered the taste of pomegranates. This powerful recollection of the taste and my early childhood years mirrored itself on the canvas.

The power of my imagination, as a child, often took me on a “world tour”. Under the umbrella of a blue gum tree, sitting on a white garden chair, I frequently traveled to unknown worlds.

Decades later these images of travel and the taste of the fruit, resonated in more than one artwork of pomegranates.

It so happened that a short, cold winter stay in a small hotel in Berlin, set events in motion. We complained about the air conditioner being cold. Therefore, we left the chilly room to seek some hot coffee and explore our immediate neighbourhood. Less than a block away from the hotel, we stumbled across a midweek farmers market.

The round, ruby red, and shiny skins of the pomegranates caught my eye. I forgot the cold hotel room and the hot coffee. As if in a dream I darted towards the pile of 4 pomegranates. I spent my day’s pocket money on 2 pomegranates.

Later that cold evening, I could no longer resist the urge to eat a pomegranate. But the consequences were a disaster. The ruby red juice stained the white sheets.

The room was still chilly and the air conditioner not nearly hot enough. It was almost impossible to remove the red stains and totally impossible to dry the sheets.

The power of my imagination to travel to unknown worlds, resonated in this unforeseen incident. However, my passion for pomegranates set the habit of buying pomegranates on small farmers markets.

SIX REASONS WHY POMEGRANATES INVOKE ARTISTS’ PASSION

A combination of pictorial principles and elements of art can be executed in a realistic or abstract way. Images of pomegranates continually thus find their way onto canvases, for one or more of the following reasons:

  1. The pomegranate tree has many stems from the base.
  2. The flowers are bell shaped, bright red to orange.
  3. The pomegranate’s shape and colour, regardless of whether it is cut in halve or not, makes an excellent still life composition.
  4. Pomegranates are globally well-known.
  5. The pomegranate’s seeds are ruby red or yellowish, shiny and an easy shape to draw or paint.
  6. The pomegranate has spiritual symbolism in nearly every culture and religion.

The power, passion and symbolism of the pomegranate inspire the artist to enjoy, explore and create a masterpiece.

SYMBOLISM OF POMEGRANATES

  • The pomegranate’s symbolism for the Jewish is righteousness
  • It is said that the seed count (613) of the pomegranate reflects the 613 commands of the Tora.
  • The Greeks belief that the pomegranate is the symbol of power, beauty and eternal life
Golden Snippets
  • The power of the pomegranate lies in its heeling characteristics.
  • It helps to fight cancer, leukemia and kidney problems.
  • It is full of antioxidants.

Thank you for reading “THE POWER, PASSION AND SYMBOLISM OF THE POMEGRANATE”.

You may also be interested in RED ROSE ALERT.

EDITORS NOTE: This blogpost was last published in April 2016 and has been completely revamped and updated.

Rewritten by Ia Crous July 2020. The universal well-known pomegranate plant vibrates power, passion and symbolism. It is one of thé most painted fruits. Artists love the shape of the tree, the flower and especially the fruit. The power of the fruit lies in the ruby red or more yellowish colour of the shiny skin as well as in the seeds. Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants. Pomegranates are also associated with passion. The symbolism of this plant is found in many cultures and religions.

Ia Crous

I am an abstract artist based in Bloemfontein, South Africa. I'm restless, I like movement, I like to travel, and I love people. I love to share my thoughts and experiences in my journey as an artist.

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