--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The development of an image of the…" description: "\"“The development of an image of the glowing human being can be traced in European art. One index of it is the means for representing haloes. In medieva..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/richard-dyer-27411_art_the-development-of-an-image-of-the-glowi_2185552.jpg" --- # The development of an image of the glowing human being can… ![“The development of an image of the glowing human being can be traced in European art. One index of it is the means for representing haloes. In medieval art, these are gold, very material, silhouetting the head; since the Renaissance, they have seemed to radiate from the head, in turn suffusing it…” quote by Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/richard-dyer-27411_art_the-development-of-an-image-of-the-glowi_2185552.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/richard-dyer-27411_art_the-development-of-an-image-of-the-glowi_2185552.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/richard-dyer-27411_art_the-development-of-an-image-of-the-glowi_2185552.jpg) > ““The development of an image of the glowing human being can be traced in European art. One index of it is the means for representing haloes. In medieval art, these are gold, very material, silhouetting the head; since the Renaissance, they have seemed to radiate from the head, in turn suffusing it with a glow. Rudolph”” [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The portrayal of halos shifted from solid gold in medieval art to radiant light in Renaissance works, reflecting changing ideas of divinity. **In simple terms:** Halos went from gold to glow. Key Takeaway Notice how visual symbols evolve. Themes art history symbolism visual culture Mood analytical reflective Type historical interpretive When to use this quote - museum tours - art classes - historical research - curation - design inspiration Key Concepts iconography cultural shift religious representation Questions to Reflect On - What does a modern “halo” look like? - How do symbols shape belief? A Different Perspective Interpretation varies across cultures and eras. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ## Related quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) ## More by Richard Dyer > [“In Western tradition, white is beautiful because it is the colour of virtue. This remarkable equation relates to a particular definition of goodness. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/in-western-tradition-white-is-beautiful-because-it-is-the-colour-of/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [“As Lucy Hughes-Hallett (1990: 253) puts it, her reputation for beauty, though unsupported by any historical evidence, was unassailable, but it was not consonant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/as-lucy-hughes-hallett-1990-253-puts-it-her-reputation-for-beauty/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [“The history of representations of Cleopatra provides one of the clearest instances of the conviction that whiteness is the pinnacle of human beauty. Cleopatra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/the-history-of-representations-of-cleopatra-provides-one-of-the/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [“Just as the vampires’ whiteness conveys their own deadness, so too their bringing of death is signalled by whiteness – their victims grow pale,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/just-as-the-vampires-whiteness-conveys-their-own-deadness-so-too/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [“figure of the ideal Aryan, with blond hair and blue eyes – hair the colour of the sun, eyes the colour of the sky.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/figure-of-the-ideal-aryan-with-blond-hair-and-blue-eyes-hair-the/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [The complex ways in which we produce and reproduce the world in technologically developed societies involves the ways in which we separate ourselves into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/the-complex-ways-in-which-we-produce-and-reproduce-the-world-in/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [The Vores Third Quartet is a terrific piece that brings disparate components into harmony. . . it's celebratory, imaginative, touching, and fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/the-vores-third-quartet-is-a-terrific-piece-that-brings-disparate/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [“Death may in some traditions be a vivid experience, but within much of the white tradition it is a blank that may be immateriality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/death-may-in-some-traditions-be-a-vivid-experience-but-within-much-of/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [Waltes is still played, which is a bowl and dice game that's traditional for this area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/waltes-is-still-played-which-is-a-bowl-and-dice-game-that-s/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [“Yet the lure of the ideal is also, often imperceptibly, haunted by misgiving, even anxiety. Not only is whiteness as absence impossible, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/yet-the-lure-of-the-ideal-is-also-often-imperceptibly-haunted-by/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [“The ideal of whiteness makes a strong appeal. It flatters white people by associating them with (what they define as) the best in human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/the-ideal-of-whiteness-makes-a-strong-appeal-it-flatters-white-people/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [It's quite a trick to use three instruments to tell the story of two people, but Vores carried it off; three, for once, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/it-s-quite-a-trick-to-use-three-instruments-to-tell-the-story-of-two/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [“Light from above is virtuously Northern; it is also, as the last quotation suggests, celestial. Heaven had been seen as a place of light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/light-from-above-is-virtuously-northern-it-is-also-as-the-last/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [“The secularisation and feminine specification of this seems to have been effected through the figure of the woman as angel, enlightened and enlightening. Theologically,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/the-secularisation-and-feminine-specification-of-this-seems-to-have/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) > [“It is at the heart of the vampire myth. The vampire is dead but also brings death. Because vampires are dead, they are pale,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/it-is-at-the-heart-of-the-vampire-myth-the-vampire-is-dead-but-also/) [Richard Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) [Explore all 20 Richard Dyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The development of an image of the glowing human being can be traced in European art. One index of it is the means for representing haloes. In medieval art, these are gold, very material, silhouetting the head; since the Renaissance, they have seemed to radiate from the head, in turn suffusing it with a glow. Rudolph”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Dyer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/the-development-of-an-image-of-the-glowing-human-being-can-be-traced/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/the-development-of-an-image-of-the-glowing-human-being-can-be-traced/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/richard-dyer-27411_art_the-development-of-an-image-of-the-glowi_2185552.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/richard-dyer-27411_art_the-development-of-an-image-of-the-glowi_2185552.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/richard-dyer-27411_art_the-development-of-an-image-of-the-glowi_2185552.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The development of an image of the glowing human being can be traced in European art. One index of it is the…” — Richard Dyer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Richard Dyer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dyer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The development of an image of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/the-development-of-an-image-of-the-glowing-human-being-can-be-traced/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dyer/the-development-of-an-image-of-the-glowing-human-being-can-be-traced/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```