iconography
noun
Did you know?
If you saw a 17th-century painting of a man writing at a desk with a lion at his feet, would you know you were looking at St. Jerome, translator of the Bible, who, according to legend, once pulled a thorn from the paw of a lion, which thereafter became his devoted friend? And if a painting showed a young woman reclining on a bed with a shower of gold descending on her, would you recognize her as Danaë, locked up in a tower to keep her away from the lustful Zeus, who then managed to gain access to her by transforming himself into golden light (or golden coins)? An iconographic approach to art can make museum-going a lot of fun—and amateur iconographers know there are also plenty of symbols lurking in the images that advertisers bombard us with daily.
Examples of iconography in a Sentence
Matt Zahn, CBS News, 3 June 2026
His work was often political, with his cartoonish art prints and couture creations subverting racist iconography from American history.
—Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
Western aesthetics — from fashion to film to music — have surged into the mainstream, with artists across genres embracing cowboy iconography and frontier storytelling.
—Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Thematically, the park was a nostalgic throwback, with a classic — if sometimes kitschy — presentation of American iconography and history.
—Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Iconography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iconography. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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