Iconography [Gr.,=image-drawing] or iconology [Gr.,=image-study], in art history, the study and interpretation of figural representations, either individual or symbolic, religious or secular; more broadly, the art of representation by pictures or images, which may or may not have a symbolic as well as an apparent or superficial meaning.
Related term for discovery: symbolic/symbols/symbolism (or symbol* for short, in the databases)
[Gr.,=image breaking], opposition to the religious use of images.
The term is now used in two related senses: (i) to denote any destructive activity directed against the substance of a belief through ridiculing the symbols upon which it is nourished, and in which it finds expression; political iconoclasm is a significant modern pastime, usually severely punished in any state which relies on government through symbols; (ii) since icons are, by extension, ideas, to denote the assailing and ridiculing of cherished beliefs.
Related search terms for discovery: vandalism, attack
the preservation of structurally sound works of art, the halting of processes that lead to the damage of works of art, and the repair of already damaged works of art.
All effective art conservation and restoration ultimately depend upon the restorer's understanding of materials, technical craftsmanship, and aesthetic and historical awareness. The support (such as wood panel, canvas, paper), the ground (gesso, chalk), and the surface treatment (wax, varnish) of a painting all undergo some form of decay over the years.
You may find it a good idea to start in the middle, so to speak. Identify a work of art/cultural artifact that has been deliberately destroyed, then work backwards to research its iconography and forwards to investigate hopes of its restoration.
However, if you're really into one particular piece that -- darn it -- wasn't itself destroyed at some point, it turns out... you do have some wiggle room within that theme. That is, Object A is okay, but Object B with the same iconography was destroyed -- you're not forced to drop Object A altogether.
The History of Loot and Stolen Art: From Antiquity Until the Present Day by 
This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Some "place" articles have specific sections on the iconography of the place/period. You can browse articles that include these explicit sections 
(or use the search filters to narrow it down more).
Lone Star College-University Park • Student Learning Resource Center
20515 SH 249 • Building 12, 8th Floor • Houston, TX 77070
This work by Lone Star College-University Park Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 