Joonistel

Joonistel is an Estonian-language term used in art history and archival descriptions to indicate that a depicted subject appears in a drawing rather than in another medium such as a photograph, painting, or print. The word is tied to the noun joonistus, meaning drawing or sketch, and appears in various inflected forms depending on its grammatical role in a sentence.

In catalogs, inventories, and scholarly texts, joonistel is used to distinguish drawn representations from photographic or printed media. For example, a catalog entry may note that a portrait is known from a drawing (joonistus) and from prints, highlighting differences in line work or composition between media. The term is most common in Estonian-language sources and is less frequently found in English-language catalogs, where translators typically render the sense as “in drawings” or “drawn.”

Limitations and scope: Joonistel is a specialized term within art-historical and archival contexts. It does not refer to a particular work or artist, but to the media in which a subject is represented. Researchers should consider contextual language and the source’s date, as the use of media terminology can vary over time.

See also: Drawing, Art history, Estonian language, Museum cataloging.