iconography

noun

ico·nog·ra·phy | \ ˌī-kə-ˈnä-grə-fē

plural iconographies

Definition of iconography

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 : iconology

Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about iconography

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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

In recent years, Rhodesian iconography has gained popularity among young men with white nationalist leanings. — C. Brandon Ogbunu, WIRED, "How White Nationalists Have Co-Opted Fan Fiction," 1 Aug. 2019 To ignore that Priestley perfectly deconstructed his teen idol iconography in Love and Death in Long Island? — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "'BH90210': TV Review," 7 Aug. 2019 Fontana’s sensitivity to it imbues his photographs with the import of symbol and iconography. — Cate Mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "At Robert Klein Gallery, Franco Fontana’s photographs shape the world with color and abstraction," 7 Aug. 2019 Many in the entertainment industry feel the photograph exploited terrorist iconography that should never be invoked against a president. — Los Angeles Times, "Kathy Griffin fell from the D-list to the S-list. She’s clawing her way back," 18 July 2019 The Rolling Stones established a lot of rock and roll iconography. — azcentral, "Bill Wyman documentary 'The Quiet One' could use a lot more noise," 26 June 2019 There’s an alternately funny and sobering litany of all the contents of the next room as a sort of ludicrous catalog of iconography of African-American life. — Sam Hurwitt, The Mercury News, "Review: Powerful ‘Kill Move Paradise’ haunts Berkeley stage," 19 July 2019 In terms of Disney iconography, that’s an exciting step forward. — Constance Grady, Vox, "Disney’s live-action Little Mermaid will star a black Ariel," 3 July 2019 The images blend ballet with martial arts, hip-hop, Chinese iconography — and compelling eccentricity. — Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, "Amid upheavals, there’s good news in Hong Kong: Its ballet thrives," 10 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'iconography.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for iconography

iconography

noun

English Language Learners Definition of iconography

: the images or symbols related to something

See the full definition for iconography in the English Language Learners Dictionary

iconography

Definition of iconography

Did You Know?

Examples of iconography in a Sentence

First Known Use of iconography

History and Etymology for iconography

English Language Learners Definition of iconography

iconography

Definition of iconography

Did You Know?

Examples of iconography in a Sentence

First Known Use of iconography

History and Etymology for iconography

English Language Learners Definition of iconography

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