Artists incorporate iconography to convey deeper meanings into their work through simple visualizations. Iconography uses symbolism to generate narrative, which in turn develops a work's meaning. Many artworks use common symbols (iconography), which incorporate meanings that a culture widely shares. These individuals recognize the iconography and can decode the symbols.
As you read this text, think about some iconographies you are familiar with. What unifies the iconographies presented in this reading?
On a basic level, we can think about iconography as conveying deeper
meanings through simple visualizations. It uses symbolism to
generate narrative, which in turn develops a work's meaning.
Jan van Eyck, Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife, oil on panel, 1434. National Gallery (London)
Each object in this painting has a specific meaning beyond its imagery here. In fact, this painting is actually a painted
marriage contract designed to solidify the agreement between these two
families. It is especially important to remember
that this is not a painting of an actual scene but a constructed
image to say specific things.
For a similar discussion of iconography in art, view and listen to the Smart History presentation about Robert Campin's Renaissance-era painting, the Mérode Altarpiece.
You can see how densely populated iconography in imagery can convey
specific hidden meanings. The problem here is to know what all of this
means if we want to understand the work. Understanding the context of
the work will help.
Grant Wood's American Gothic from the 1930s is a more contemporary painting with embedded icons. The figures' dour expressions signify the toughness of a Midwestern American farm couple. One critic complained the woman in the painting had a "face that could sour milk." Notice how the trees and bushes in the painting's background and the small cameo the woman wears mirror the soft roundness of her face: these traditional symbols of femininity carry throughout the work. In contrast, the man's straight-backed stance is reflected in the pitchfork he holds and again in the window frames of the house behind him. Even the stitching on his overalls mimics the form of the pitchfork. The arched window frame at the top center of the painting, in particular, is a symbol of the gothic architecture style from 12th-century Europe.
Vanitas painting was a popular genre in painting from 16th century northern
Europe, especially the Netherlands. These still-life paintings heavily depend on symbolic objects that
project the joy and accomplishments life
affords, yet they also remind us of our mortality. Edward
Collier's painting below is a good example of how crowded these could
be.
Edward Collier, A Vanitas
The armor, weapons, and medals focus on military accomplishments. The open book alludes to knowledge, and in this case, the drawing of a canon mirrors the overall theme. The globe is a symbol of both travel and our common existence as earth-bound beings. Contemporary vanitas paintings could certainly include allusions to air and space travel. On the far right of the work, behind the book and in the shadows, lies a skull, reminding us of the shortness of life and the inevitability of death.
We can also use iconography to find meaning in artworks from popular culture. The "Golden Arches" mean fast food, the silhouette of an apple (with a bite out of it) means a brand of computer, a single, sequined glove stands for Michael Jackson, and the artist Andy Warhol's soup can image forever links Campbell's soup with Pop Art.
Source: Christopher Gildow, http://opencourselibrary.org/art-100-art-appreciation/
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