Who invented iconology?
A German art historian named Erwin Panofsky popularized the iconographic method in the 1930s (largely using medieval and renaissance art of western Europe, such as his famous essay about Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait), and he described three steps: Pre-iconographic (primary or natural subject matter)
Why is iconography used?
Iconography is the use of visual images, symbols or figures to represent complex ideas, subjects or themes, that are important to different cultures. An understanding of the iconographic images and symbols used in a particular art work helps to reveal the meaning of the work.
What is the primary goal of iconography?
Derived from the Greek words eikon, meaning image or icon, and graphia, meaning description, writing, or sketch, the word iconography is one of the least understood, most abused, and most flexible terms in the English language. Its primary purpose is to understand and explicate the meaning behind what is represented.
What is the study of statues called?
The term “sculpture” is often used mainly to describe large works, which are sometimes called monumental sculpture, meaning either or both of sculpture that is large, or that is attached to a building.
What are the three stages of iconology?
In 1932, Panofsky published a seminal article, introducing a three-step method of visual interpretation dealing with (1) primary or natural subject matter; (2) secondary or conventional subject matter, i.e. iconography; (3) tertiary or intrinsic meaning or content, i.e. iconology.
What is the difference between iconography and iconology in art?
Originally iconography referred to the description and classification of religious or artistic objects/images, while iconology referred to the interpretation of their meanings, but these two terms now tend to be used interchangeably or as closely interwoven.