ikoonografias

Ikoonografias is the study of visual symbols and their meanings in art and visual culture. Drawing on Greek roots eikon (image) and graphein (to write), the term refers to the identification of subject matter and the conventional signs used to convey ideas, narratives, or identities in works ranging from paintings and frescoes to sculpture and illuminated manuscripts.

In scholarly use, iconography typically refers to the cataloguing of motifs and attributes—such as the sun behind a figure’s head, the cross, or the scales of justice—while iconology focuses on interpreting what those signs reveal about historical context, beliefs, and social power. The field covers religious, mythological, heraldic, historical, and secular imagery and often compares repertoires across cultures and periods.

Researchers employ methods including the analysis of typologies, iconographic attributes, scene composition, documentary sources, and archival material. They consider provenance, patronage, ritual function, and audience reception, and may combine traditional art-historical methods with digital databases and interdisciplinary approaches in archaeology, theology, and anthropology.

Examples of iconographic traditions include Christian iconography with motifs such as the Virgin and Child or the Crucifixion; Hindu iconography with deities identified by attributes and consorts; and ancient Egyptian iconography expressed through cartouches, hieroglyphs, and symbolic figures. Ikoonografias thus provides a framework for understanding how images encode meaning and reflect cultural values.