Interpreting Right & Left in Art & Dreams

If you think about this quote while viewing some paintings, you might find possible insight about the artist's conscious attitude on the right side of the painting and the artist's unconscious attitude to the left:

“Among other things ‘right’ often means, psychologically, the side of consciousness, of adaptation, of being ‘right,’ while the left signifies the sphere of unadapted, unconscious reactions or sometimes even something ‘sinister.’” - Marie-Louise von Franz, Man and His Symbols

Another quote applies this right/left observation to dream work:

(Examining a subject’s dream.) “Henry is a ‘lonely wanderer’ on the narrow path. But (perhaps thanks to the analysis) he is already on his way down from inhospitable heights. To the left, on the side of the unconscious, his road is bordered by the terrifying depths of the abyss. On the right side, the side of consciousness, the way is blocked by the rigid caves (which might represent, so to speak, unconscious areas in Henry’s field of consciousness) there are places where refuge can be found when bad weather comes – in other words, when outside tensions become too threatening.” - Aniela Jaffe, Man and His Symbols