iconography

American  

[ahy-kuh-nog-ruh-fee] / ˌaɪ kəˈnɒg rə fi /

noun

plural

iconographies

1. symbolic representation, especially the conventional meanings attached to an image or images.

2. subject matter in the visual arts, especially with reference to the conventions regarding the treatment of a subject in artistic representation.

3. the study or analysis of subject matter and its meaning in the visual arts; iconology.

4. a representation or a group of representations of a person, place, or thing, as a portrait or a collection of portraits.

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iconography British  

/ aɪˌkɒnəˈɡræfɪk, ˌaɪkɒˈnɒɡrəfɪ /

noun

1. 1. the symbols used in a work of art or art movement

   2. the conventional significance attached to such symbols

2. a collection of pictures of a particular subject, such as Christ

3. the representation of the subjects of icons or portraits, esp on coins

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Other Word Forms

• iconograph noun
• iconographer noun
• iconographic adjective

Etymology

Origin of iconography

1620–30; < Medieval Latin īconographia < Greek eikonographía. See icono-, -graphy

Example Sentences

Creepy ring iconography crowded my consciousness: the unsettling surveillance of Amazon ring devices.

From The Wall Street Journal

But in “Forbidden Fruits,” it’s hard to shake the feeling that Alloway’s movie knowledge is just that — easily identifiable iconography without much innovation or depth.

From Los Angeles Times

While primarily in English, the American production incorporates Asian iconography, food and some Korean language to showcase its South Korean roots.

From BBC

“A trailblazing figure in Black experimental video, he was widely recognized for works that used image, sound, and cultural iconography to examine representation, race, gender, ritual, history, and power,” the statement said.

From Los Angeles Times

He was also the driving force behind Wu Wear, the group’s wildly popular fashion line that netted tens of millions in revenue and became a fixture of ’90s hip-hop iconography.

From Los Angeles Times