Allegory


![British School 17th century - Portrait of a Lady, Called Elizabeth, Lady Tanfield. Sometimes the meaning of an allegory can be lost, even if art historians suspect that the artwork is an allegory of some kind.[11]](/uploads/202412/18/British_School_17th_century_-_Portrait_of_a_Lady,_Called_Elizabeth,_Lady_Tanfield_-_Google_Art_Project0245.jpg)
As a literary device, an allegory in its most general sense is an extended metaphor. Allegory has been used widely throughout history in all forms of art, largely because it can readily illustrate complex ideas and concepts in ways that are comprehensible or striking to its viewers, readers, or listeners.