icono-, icon-

(Greek: image, likeness; form of a person or object; a sacred, holy, or religious representaion)

iconoclast (s) (noun), iconoclasts (pl)
1. Someone who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions.
2. A person who destroys sacred religious images.
3. A breaker or destroyer of images; especially, those set up for religious veneration.
4. A person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition.
Man is iconoclastic with a hammer as he breaks a bull icon to pieces.
Word Info image © Copyright, 2006.

The original iconoclasts destroyed countless works of art; such as, religious images which were the subject of controversy among Christians of the Byzantine Empire, especially in the eighth and ninth centuries, when iconoclasm was at its height.

Those who opposed images did not simply destroy them, although many were demolished; they also attempted to have the images barred from display and veneration.

During the Protestant Reformation, images in churches were again felt to be idolatrous and were banned and destroyed. In the nineteenth century, the term "iconoclast" took on the secular sense that it has today; someone who breaks traditions, doctrines, convictions, practices, etc.

iconoclastic (adjective)
1. Characterized by attacks on established beliefs or institutions.
2. Someone who strongly opposes generally accepted beliefs and traditions.
iconoclastically (adverb)
1. A reference to a person who tries to destroy traditional ideas or institutions: "An iconoclastically destructive attempt to overturn certain beliefs or customs."
2. Related to those who want to do away with religious images or who oppose their use in worship: "There are certain iconoclastically serious efforts by some people to get rid of any images of deities that that could be worshipped."
iconodule (s) (noun), iconodules (pl)
A person who supports or is in favor of religious images.
iconodulist (s) (noun), iconodulists (pl)
Someone who supports the veneration or worship of religious images.
iconoduly (s) (noun), iconodulies (pl)
The worship or veneration (expression of awe or reverence) of images.
iconogenetics (s) (noun)
A reference to the origins of images or statues.
iconogenitor (s) (noun), iconogenitors (pl)
The originator or creator of an image or images: "An iconogenitor is considered to be an artist who provides icons for religious applications."
iconograph (s) (noun), iconographs (pl)
1. A drawing, engraving, or illustration for a book.
2. The description or illustration of any subject by means of drawings or figures; such as, any book or work in which this is done.
3. The branch of knowledge that deals with the representation of people or objects by any application of the arts of design.
4. A symbolic representation; especially, the conventional meanings attached to an image or images.
5. The study or analysis of subject matter and its meaning in the visual arts; iconology.
6. A representation or a group of representations of a person, place, or thing; such as, a portrait or a collection of portraits.
iconographer (s) (noun), iconographers (pl)
Someone who makes images or pictorial representations of deities related to worship.
iconographic (adjective)
Representing by means of pictures, diagrams, or descriptions of representational works of art.
iconography (s) (noun), iconographies (pl)
1. The images and symbolic representations that are traditionally associated with a person or a subject.
2. Subject matter in the visual arts; especially, with reference to the conventions regarding the treatment of a subject in artistic representation.
3. The study or analysis of subject matter and its meaning in the visual arts; iconology.
4. A representation or a group of representations of a person, place, or thing; such as, a portrait or a collection of portraits.
5. The art of representing or illustrating by means of pictures, images, or figures; a symbolic and metaphorical representation of a particular subject.

It is sometimes considered a component of cognitive archaeology, in which artistic representations which usually have an overt religious or ceremonial significance are studied.

Iconography is also the study of statues and images, bas-reliefs, busts, medals, etc. The earliest iconographical studies were published in the 16th century.

Extensive iconographical study did not begin in Europe until the 18th century; however, when, as a companion to archaeology, it consisted of the classification of subjects and motifs in ancient monuments.

iconolagnia, icolagnia (s) (noun), iconolagnias (pl)
The sexuoerotic arousal from viewing nude pictures, scultures, or statues; a form of voyeurism: "Iconolagnia is a paraphilia in which an individual, more often a male, derives sexual pleasure from secretly observing people in-the-nude, undressing, or engaged in sexual activity."
iconolagny (s) (noun), iconolagnies (pl)
Sexual stimulation resulting from images or illustrations.
iconolater (s) (noun), iconolaters (pl)
Someone who worships images; a name given to Romanists.

Inter-related cross references, directly or indirectly, involving word units dealing with "form, shape, appearance": eido-; figur-; form-; ideo-; imag-; morpho-; -oid; typo-.

Related "holy, sacred" word families: hagio-; hiero-; sacro-; sanct-.