The Lover | Character Archetypes | Flora & Fauna Symbolic Art

Here is “The Lover.”

This painting is one of twelve in my body of work entitled the Archetype Collection.

The idea of the twelve character archetypes, invented by Carl Jung, is that there are universal, inborn models of people, behaviors, and personalities that influence human behavior.

Fiction writers and all kinds of storytellers use these archetypes as a helpful device when creating characters in a story. In real life, no one person fully embodies any one archetype. Rather, this is a useful device for us to describe parts of ourselves that we all have in different measures, which may come to the forefront at different moments in our lives.

Meditating on the essence of each archetype can be an inspiring and empowering reminder of the different strengths that exist within our own character. These ideas can help us answer the continual question of who we want to be in our lives.

I chose to paint animals and plants that humans have associated with the various traits inherent in the different archetypes. Some of these symbols are shared across different world cultures, others less-so.

Perhaps looking at this image will help awaken this part of your character a little bit, reminding you of a well within yourself that you can tap into when needed.

The Lover shares intimacy and sexual pleasure.

Many animals have been used to symbolize romantic love, but the pink flamingo, with its glorious plumage and elegantly curved neck, is a particularly beautiful one.

Red roses and peony roses are enduring symbols of love and passion.

The colors of the pink flamingo and the red flowers together convey the heat of intense emotion.

Contact me if you’re interested in purchasing the original painting or a print of this artwork.