From Eden to iPhone: The Image of the "Apple" in Peirce’s Semiotic Perspective

Abstract

Background:  This study focuses on the apple image,which has become a visual symbol with  multiple  meanings  throughout  the  history  of  art.  As  the  most  common  fruit, e  apple continuously generates diverse meanings in artistic works. It goes beyond being a natural object, undergoing constant reconfiguration and reinterpretation across religious narratives, mythological tales,    and    secular    imagery.    It    demonstrates    symbolic    significance    across    time,    space, and media. Objective: By interpreting apple imagery in artworks, this study explores how apples transition  from  “natural  objects“  to  “meaning  carriers“  embedded  with  religious  doctrines, mythological  systems,  and  secular  cultural  interpretations.  Methods:   This  paper  analyzes  the meanings   associated   in    apple   imagery    using   Peirce’s    triadic   model   of    symbols—“iconic symbols—indexical  symbols—symbolic  symbols.“Analysis  shows  that  the  boundary  between creating apple  imagery  and  interpreting  its  meaning is  continually  challenged,  resulting  in  the ongoing renewal of conveyed significance. Results: The study demonstrates that apple imagery is not    merely     objective    artistic     representation    but,     through    a     step-by-step    process     of “description-analysis-interpretation,“  reveals  its  inherent  meaning  as  a  symbol  of  the  zeitgeist, ideology,  and  visual   communication.  Conclusion:  Peirce’s  triadic  model   guides  art  historical research in shifting from representation theory to semiosis theory. The  “symbolic interpretation chain“  perspective  offers   a  new  interpretive  path  for  understanding  how  visual  elements  in artworks generate meaning.