The apple is known as the “fruit of good and evil.” But the bible is not clear whether the infamous fruit that “corrupted” Adam and Eve was an apple or not. Some suggest a fig. This is probably because Adam and Eve dressed themselves in fig leaves, so they would have been readily available.
The quince can symbolize fertility and marriage.
At the Last Supper, Jesus gave wine to the apostles (“This is my blood…”) Because wine is made of grapes, they represent Jesus suffering on the cross.
The rounded shape of a pear refers to Mary’s fecundity, and so it stands for the incarnation.
Greek myth gives the pomegranate its Christian symbolism. In Greek myth, Persephone was taken to the Underworld by Hades. She could return to life if she had not eaten while she was there. However, she ate pomegranate seeds while in the Underworld and as a result she had to spend one third of every year in the Underworld. The pomegranate came to refer to Christ’s death and resurrection. Some say that because it holds many seeds, it’s a symbol of the Church, which holds many souls.
The gourd can be seen as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection. In the story of Jonah (who was swallowed by a whale for three days before being regurgitated on dry land,) he sits under a gourd tree after God has forgiven the people of Nineveh. So perhaps it also represents forgiveness.
The orange is another “forbidden fruit.” But in paintings such as Botticelli’s Primavera, and Domenico Veneziano’s St. Lucy Altarpiece, the orange is meant to allude to the Medici family, a very wealthy and powerful Florentine family from the 14th to 18th century. As well as resembling the golden balls on the Medici coat of arms, the orange was at times known as the “malus medicus” or “medicinal apple,” which created this sort of pun on the family name.
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