Born in Pennsylvania, Kieth Haring later made his name as a street artist in early 80s New York, spray-painting subway cars and street walls, synthesising cultures as broad as hip-hop, the Grateful Dead, and the Jesus Movement.

In 1982, when Haring made the leap from graffiti artist to gallery artist, he retained his visual street-lingo and began building a cast of characters and a host of symbols. Retrospect (1989) collects many of them together, including the beloved dancing dog.

Funky, fun, and just a little absurd, Haring's system of symbols conjures a sense of motion, rhythm, alternate-reality. Stick figures engage in all kinds of activity. This one's riding a dolphin.

Haring called his symbols 'icons'. They allowed him to deal with themes as light as 'dance' and as heavy as the AIDS crisis. Always dynamic, the icons often carry an implicit threat. Take this pair of scissors, for example.

The arms look like two figures clapping over their heads, joined in the middle, marrying function and celebration. But can we trust the sharp points, the act of severance, or the sense of power and propaganda that a ribbon-cutting suggests?

One of Haring's most popular motifs is the Radiant Child. Brought up in the United Church, Haring was alive to the sense of community and spirituality of the church, but, as a gay man, was also a vocal critic of intolerance and indoctrination. The innocent baby expresses this.

In this section, two figures high-five through the body of a third. It's classic Haring, cool and vibey but unsettling. Violence done to bodies was a chief concern of his as he used art to campaign against homophobia and raise awareness of AIDS, from which he sadly died in 1990.

Animals have been used in art as metaphors since ancient times. Pre-historic cave paintings often featured animals which were thought to inspire good luck during hunting or for religious purposes. But it was perhaps during the Renaissance period that artists began to use animals to illustrate their own religious and mythological meanings. 

The inclusion of animals in paintings was often based on older symbolism, although these earlier meanings were often altered during the Renaissance to represent contemporary attitudes. Let’s take a closer look at some Renaissance masterpieces and see if we can spot the animals before working out what they might be supposed to represent.

Can you spot the goldfinch in Rafael's masterpiece? And what could it mean?

Images of birds often represented sacrifice, resurrection, the soul or death. The goldfinch was regularly used in Renaissance art and also symbolizes redemption and healing. It's all based on the biblical story when a goldfinch plucks a thorn from the crucified head of Christ, and a drop of blood falls on its head, leaving a red patch. Rafael uses this symbolism in his Madonna of the Goldfinch.

What might the serpent represent?

Snakes and other reptiles have often been used as symbols of evil, especially in the Christian iconography of the Renaissance era. In Albrecht Durer’s Fall of Man (also known as Adam and Eve), a snake is seen encouraging them to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, resulting in their banishment from the Garden of Eden. However, reptiles can also represents rejuvenation because they are able to regrow severed tails and limbs.

What could this small, furry mammal mean?

The ermine has been a symbol of purity and chastity since ancient times, with the belief that this small creature would rather die than soil its white coat. However, in this Da Vinci masterpiece, the ermine may be less to do with chastity, as the subject Cecilia Galleriano already had a son. The ermine may represent her lover, Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, who had been appointed to the chivalric Order of the Ermine by the King of Naples. 

Can you spot the sleeping dog? Do you know why it's there?

Dogs often appear as status symbols in Renaissance paintings - combined with a suggestion of fidelity or loyalty. In Titian’s Venus of Urbino, the dog is meant as a symbol of marital fidelity. 

Can you spot the strutting peacock? What could it mean?

The majestic peacock became a symbol of immortality in Christian art. It all stemmed from the belief that its flesh never decayed, which is why it can be found in large numbers of Renaissance nativity scenes. It serves as a reminder of the Resurrection and eternal life. The peacock’s flamboyant tail is also associated with pride and vanity, although this tends to be used with other subject matter.