Definition
Iconography refers to the study of subjects and themes in works of art. It is the discovery of symbolic and allegorical meanings in a work of art. Iconography involves the collection, classification and analysis of data, from which the theme or subject of a work of art is deduced. The researcher must be aware of the historical context of the work in question, and an ‘iconographic fallacy’ can occur when, for example, plainly medieval concepts are incorporated into 17th-century paintings, or when religious and secular genres become intertwined.
Dictionaries
- Signs & Symbols in Christian Art byNew York: Oxford University Press, c1954. General definitions of the most common signs and symbols found in Renaissance Art.
The Dent Dictionary of Symbols in Christian Art. by London: J.M. Dent, 1994. Includes everyday objects (clouds, water) and their symbolic meanings, as well as a visual index.
Angels & Demons in Art
Angels and Demons in Art by Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2005. Analyzes artists' representations of angels and demons and heaven and hell from the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Christian Iconography
Kirschbaum, Engelbert. Lexikon der Christlichen Ikonographie. 8 vols. Rom: Herder, 1968-76. The first four volumes deal with general iconographic terms with the other four volumes cover saints in alphabetical order. Besides the actual iconography of a motif, the article notes the most important sources and a brief biography. Illustrations reflect major types of each subject. In German.
Réau, Louis. Iconographie de l’Art Chrétien. 3 vols. Paris: Presses universitaires de France, 1955–59. v.1 has articles on sources and the evolution of Christian iconography; on animal, human and liturgical symbolism; and on iconography of saints; v.2 concerns the iconography of the Old and New Testaments; v.3 concerns the iconography of the saints. In French.
Schiller, Gertrud. Ikonographie der Christlichen Kunst. 5 vols. Gütersloh: Gutersloher Verlagshaus G. Mohn, 1966–80. v.1=Christ’s incarnation, childhood, baptism, temptation, transfiguration, works, and miracles; v. 2= the Passion of Christ; v.3-5 concern the resurrection and ascension, the church and Mary. In German. An English translation by Janet Seligman (Greenwich, CT: New York Graphic Society, 1971) of v.1-2 only.
Saints in Art
Saints in Art by Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003. Identifies the characteristic features of more than one hundred saints often encountered in sacred Western art.- Saints and their Emblems byDetroit: Gale Research Co., 1971. Presents the saints in two different ways: first listing them by name including emblems and sources and second listing by attributes. Also includes a listing of the patriarchs and prophets along with their emblems and concludes with a listing of saints according to their role as patrons.
- Post-Biblical Saints Art Index: A Locator of Paintings, Sculptures, Mosaics, Icons, Frescoes, Manuscript Illuminations, Sketches, Woodcuts, and Engravings, Created from the 4th Century to 1950, with a Directory of the Institutions Holding Them byJefferson, NC: McFarland, c1994. A subject index listing art works by individual depicted. Includes bibliography and an institutional directory.
- Saints in Italian Art. 4 vols. Florence: Sansoni, 1952-78. v.1: Iconography of the Saints in Tuscan Painting; v.2: Iconography of the Saints in Central and South Italian Schools of Painting; v.3: Iconography of the Saints in the Painting of North East Ita byEach volume of this work covers frescoes and paintings from the 2nd to early 16th century with scholarly entries accompanied by black and white images. Each volume is divided in two, the first with alphabetically arranged entries of saints, the second with indices.
Saints and Their Symbols by New York: Abrams, 2012. Features more than 120 of the saints most frequently portrayed in art and explains how to recognize these saints with the help of their symbols.
Christian Icongraphy Online
Christian Iconography Originally created at Augusta State Univ. in Georgia, this resource allows a search by saint's name or by topic and links to an image (or images) and description of the story behind the image.
Old Testament in Art
Old Testament Figures in Art by Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003. Compiles entries on key figures and events in the Old Testament, beginning with the Pentateuch, then drawing from the historical books, the books of wisdom and poetry, and, finally, the prophetic books.
New Testament in Art
Gospel Figures in Art by Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003. Examines depictions of stories and figures from both the New Testament's canonical gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and the apocryphal gospels.
