Iconography

Iconography, and iconography ( from the Greek eikon εἰκών, image ' and γράφειν graphein, write ') is a scientific method of art history that deals with the determination and interpretation of motifs in works of fine art. The study and interpretation of content and symbolism of the image objects, taking into account contemporary literary sources, such as philosophy, poetry and theology, which had an influence on the respective motives and their representation is also referred to as iconology.

A first systematic teaching of this method laid the art historian Aby Warburg (1866-1929) and Erwin Panofsky (1892-1968) before.

Development

Originally the term referred to the classic portrait of customer antiquity. The " iconography of Caesar " for example, is the collection of all the portraits, which are Caesar.

Since the end of the 19th century is meant by the iconography content interpretation in the visual arts. It is used for decryption of the motifs in the Christian art of the Romanesque and Gothic periods, or the Orthodox churches as well as to decipher pre-Christian image content. An important source of scrutinizing the imagery of the sculptures in cathedrals, the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages and church paintings of all kinds is the Physiologus and in particular the Legenda aurea, from the most holy attributes and life scenes derived. Even medieval sermons are sources of high rank.

A particular challenge for the History of Art presented the deliberately complicated and enigmatic allegories and emblems of the Renaissance and Baroque dar. So at Renaissance artists awoke the interest in non-Christian sources such as the Egyptian hieroglyphics, described by Horapollo 1419. 1499 appeared the allegorical novel Hypnerotomachia Poliphili of Francesco Colonna, who, like Andrea Alciatos Emblematum liber of 1531 and the Iconologia of Cesare Ripa from 1593 to mystification artists - served images - and later art historians to unravel. As a consequence, movements like alchemy or Freemasonry engage in the artistic iconography.

Extension

Figuratively and generalized sense today correlations between imagery and artwork are understood under this term.