How does Dan Brown use imagery in The Da Vinci Code?

Examples of Imagery:

"He was trapped inside the Grand Gallery, and there existed only one person on earth to whom he could pass the torch. Sauniere gazed up at the walls of his opulent prison. A collection of the world's most famous paintings seemed to smile down on him like old friends. Wincing in pain, he summoned all of his faculties and strength. The desperate task before him, he knew, would require every remaining second of his life." Prologue, pg. 5

"Langdon turned to see a young woman approaching. She was moving down the corridor toward them with long, fluid strides, a haunting certainty to her gait. Dressed casually in knee-length, cream-colored Irish sweater over black leggings, she was attractive and looked to be about thirty. Her thick burgundy hair fell unstyled to her shoulders, framing the warmth of her face. Unlike the waifish, cookie-cutter blondes that adorned the Harvard dorm room walls, this woman was healthy with an unembellished beauty and genuineness that radiated a striking personal confidence." Chapter 9, pg. 50