iconography
noun
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
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2025
The iconography of the original march and its message lives on.
—Rebecca Schneid, TIME, 8 Mar. 2025
The musician and creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton was tapped to help shape a series of bottles that reinterpret the brand's traditional iconography while maintaining its connection to commemoration.
—Rachel King, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Through the prism of synaesthesia, the iconography of Louis Vuitton is colored with vibrancy.
—Essence, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for iconography
Cite this Entry
“Iconography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iconography. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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