Ikonography

Ikonography is the study and interpretation of visual imagery, symbols, and narrative content in art and visual culture. It examines what a work depicts—the subject matter—and the symbolic meanings conveyed through motifs, gestures, colors, and settings. The aim is to understand how imagery communicates religious, political, social, or moral ideas within a given historical and cultural context.

In art history the term is often paired with iconology. Following the traditional distinction attributed to Erwin Panofsky, ikonography concerns the identification of depicted subjects and motifs, while iconology involves interpretation of their meaning within historical circumstances, beliefs, and values. Practitioners analyze programmatic imagery, devotional cycles, allegorical figures, and symbolic conventions, integrating visual analysis with textual sources, inscriptions, liturgy, patronage, and audience perception.

Methods include cataloging motifs, tracing motif imports and adaptations across time and regions, and situating images within broader cultural networks. Comparisons with related traditions, cross-cultural exchanges, and the material context of production—such as workshops, commissions, and display—are also important. Ikonography is used across disciplines, including art history, religious studies, archaeology, museum curation, film, and digital media, to illuminate how images carry meaning beyond their literal depiction.

Common domains include religious iconography (Christ, saints, deities), mythological and allegorical programs, political and social symbolism, and secular portraiture. While powerful for interpretation, ikonography also requires caution to avoid overextension or anachronistic readings, and it benefits from explicit acknowledgment of cultural specificity and audience reception.