The use of symbolic elements placed around the sitter (including signs, household objects, animals, and plants) was often used to encode the painting with the moral or religious character of the subject, or with symbols representing the sitter's occupation, interests, or social status.
Brugen af symbolske elementer placeret rundt om modellen ( tegn, husholdningsgenstande, dyr og planter) blev ofte brugt til at vise modellens moralske eller religiøse holdning, eller med symboler, der repræsenterer modellens arbejde, interesser, eller sociale status.