iconography

noun

ico·​nog·​ra·​phy ˌī-kə-ˈnä-grə-fē How to pronounce iconography (audio)
plural iconographies
1
: the traditional or conventional images or symbols associated with a subject and especially a religious or legendary subject
2
: pictorial material relating to or illustrating a subject
3
: the imagery or symbolism of a work of art, an artist, or a body of art
4

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

the iconography of the 1960s
Recent Examples on the Web Takal uses vivid color and paneled iconography to explore complex issues relating to behavior and personal patterns. Seth Combs, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 Hawes utilizes that iconography without exploiting or sensationalizing the material; the film is emotionally restrained in a way that is almost frustrating at times but ultimately reflects the character of Winton’s quiet, self-effacing personality. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 A lot has happened on this plot since three Augustinian nuns first arrived in 1639, but clues to its previous life come in the Christian iconography. Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Mar. 2024 Google’s bookish Pixel Fold is being reinvented for 2024, with a key part of the Pixel iconography set for a change. Ewan Spence, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 The strange, embarrassing iconography (Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un sitting on horses). Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 Ultimately, Ludvig’s is the story of a homesteader, and Arcel treats it with the iconography and grandeur of a classic Western, Scandinavian style. Katie Walsh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2024 In its iconography, speeches and slogans, Hezbollah had made fighting Israel its raison d’etre. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023 Thom Browne is a designer fascinated by American iconography. José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'iconography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin iconographia, from Greek eikonographia sketch, description, from eikonographein to describe, from eikon- + graphein to write — more at carve

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of iconography was in 1678

Dictionary Entries Near iconography

Cite this Entry

“Iconography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iconography. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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