The Gleaners
Identify and list the gestures, subjects, iconography, narrative elements, and symbols used in artworks
Analyze the iconography of artworks
Interpret iconographic symbols and their role in creating visual communication
Define the meaning of subjects and symbols and their role in communicating content in artworks
Explain the context of iconography in relation to various narrative elements, and/or symbols in artworks; sometimes the meaning of an iconographic element changes in the context of the overall image or setting
Explain their value and role in communicating narrative and meaning in artworks.
Interpret the overall narrative of an image through it’s iconographic elements; decide if an image has more than one meaning or interpretation through the symbols and narratives included in the work; and define the meaning or interpret both meanings and speak to their interconnection or relationship to the audience
Develop an essay with a thesis statement/introduction, supporting body, and conclusion that synthesizes the statements and thesis into a final idea about what the audience should remember and take away from the assignment
Use description as evidence to support the thesis and any other support statements.
Use CRAAP standards to evaluate sources for academic value.
Use the Chicago or Turabian citation method to document sources.
In addition to finding sources as research, you will need to provide evidence in the form of descriptions of the work.
Analysis through Iconology
This kind of analysis usually is most useful for narrative works and art before the Modern period. Non-objective art or art with arbitrary subjects (such as DADA) don’t work as well with this kind of analysis because narratives and conventional symbols are not a part of these works. Here you will look for a particular element that occurs in the object (an object, action, gesture, pose) and explain either:
When that same element occurs in other objects through history and how this object’s representation of it is unique, or…
What that element means generally in art or to art historians—in other words, the traditional association an art historian might make between that depiction and some other thing.
The following video provides an example of Iconological analysis. The video speaks to the meaning of the gestures, iconography, meaning of certain types of depiction, and other narrative imagery and symbolism related to those narrative elements.
