French Symbolism was a late 19th-century literary and artistic movement that emphasized the use of symbols to express emotions and ideas. It sought to evoke feelings and moods rather than depict reality directly. Key figures included poets like Charles Baudelaire and Stéphane Mallarmé, who used rich imagery and metaphor to convey deeper meanings. The movement emerged as a reaction against Realism and Naturalism, which focused on detailed representations of everyday life. Symbolists believed that art should transcend the mundane and tap into the spiritual and the mysterious. This approach influenced various art forms, including painting and music, promoting a more subjective interpretation of experience.