Ikonológia
Ikonológia is a branch of art history and visual studies that examines the symbolic meanings, cultural contexts, and interpretive frameworks of images, objects, and visual representations. The term originates from the Greek *eikon* (εἰκών), meaning "image," and *logos* (λόγος), meaning "study" or "reason." It was popularized by the Swiss art historian and philosopher Ernst Gombrich in his 1960 book *Art and Illusion*, though its foundations trace back to earlier scholars like Aby Warburg, who explored the psychological and cultural dimensions of visual symbols.
Ikonológia distinguishes itself from iconography, which focuses on the identification and description of subjects in art,
Key figures in the development of ikonológia include Aby Warburg, whose *Mnemosyne Atlas* visually mapped the
Ikonológia intersects with disciplines such as anthropology, semiotics, and cultural theory, offering tools to decode visual