Symbolism refers to the use of symbols or images to represent abstract ideas or concepts. The Symbolist movement emerged in France in the late 19th century as artists and writers rejected Realism in favor of more subjective and ambiguous works that drew from emotions, dreams, and the spiritual psyche. Symbolists believed that art should represent absolute truths indirectly through metaphor and symbolism. Some precursors to Symbolism include Romanticism and works like Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal, which developed an aesthetic of using symbols.