iconography

noun

ico·​nog·​ra·​phy ˌī-kə-ˈnä-grə-fē 

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

: iconology

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

Star Wars movies updates This is the most pressing issue as both Disney/Lucasfilm and the fans wander into a new age for the franchise, a period that should gradually leave behind the Skywalker Saga iconography and work hard to establish all-new heroes, villains, places, and tales. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2025

While the iconography of the franchise carries over, the world and characters themselves are generally reincarnations that can serve the needs of each game’s plot. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025

The iconography of the chap indicated social status and power and likely belonged to a specific team or group within the tribe, Młotek told the agency. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2025

And while having daily goals was nothing new at that point, the design has become an important, and often copied, part of the company’s iconography. —Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin īconographia "making of images," borrowed from Greek eikonographía "sketch, description" (Late Greek, "making of images"), from eikono- icono- + -graphia -graphy

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for iconography

• bibliography
• choreography
• chromatography
• crystallography
• hagiography
• lexicography
• metallography
• myelography
• oceanography
• physiography
• plethysmography
• polarography