Image, conceived and given form, is the essence of visual art. Consequently, the body of images, their formation, transmission, and transformation in and from one culture to another, and their intrinsic meaning constitutes a fundamental aspect of research in the history of art. This lecture traces the transition of symbols and attributes from Classical Antiquity through the Early Christian era when it was the task of the church to redeem the world and all humankind. The church did not hesitate to borrow from every available source in its effort to convert and redeem; the sign and symbol, particularly those most common in the realm of human experience, were given a Christian and spiritual meaning. The lecture continues with the full flowering of symbolism in the northern Renaissance and Baroque eras.