ABSTRACT
Iconography literally means “image writing” – the term originally denoting those religious images painted on to small portable wooden panels that, from at least the seventh century onwards, were used as devotional icons by followers of the Greek Orthodox Church. In this context, iconography refers to a system of symbolic meaning adapted from one, albeit pagan, already formulated in classical mythology and used by icon artists to communicate concepts such as “Christ” and the “Holy Spirit” – often depicted as a lamb with a flag and a dove respectively. Over time, the term became attached to any object or image that embodies some special meaning. It is mainly associated with academic art research and the interpretation of the meaning attached to pictorial representation. For example, much has been written about the meaning of the distorted human skull anamorphically depicted across the lower foreground of “The Ambassadors” by Hans Holbein the Younger – an enigmatic double portrait painted in 1533 and riddled with symbolism. More recently, the fascination with deciphering such symbols is the key to Dan Brown’s success – the forerunner of his best-selling books including theories, largely shunned by the art historian fraternity, on the iconography of works by Leonardo da Vinci.
