What is it about?

Historiographic approaches towards images are multifaceted. Rainer Wohlfeil presented his methodological ideas of a „Historische Bildkunde“ in the 1980s. Wohlfeil developed his analytical framework following the iconographical-iconological approach elaborated by Erwin Panofsky. In three steps, the content, meaning and larger historical significance of images are determined. Critics observed that the method was applicable especially to images made and used in the Early Modern period. Further, the ambiguity, mediality and aesthetics of images were not adequately considered. Images were and are too often only used as evidence or historical facts. Similar objections are raised against historiographical analyses of images in general. In the unfolding debate these objections were acknowledged and new approaches (such as „Visual History“) and the adaption of analytical tools from neighbouring disciplines took the critical remarks into account. The essay seeks to widen the debate by presenting an analytical approach which proposes as a first step of any analysis the identification of the „conventional meaning“ of visual sources. On the basis of a working definition of „image/picture“ the conventional meaning should be considered as the contemporary reading of an image in its concrete context. The starting point should always be the subject matter of the image as found in its original context and form. However, the conventional meaning is not considered as the only meaning of an image but alternative readings afford an analysis of the specific context of images. This approach is suggested for any type of image but especially for mass produced images which make up for the bulk of visual sources.

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Why is it important?

The essay seeks to widen the debate by presenting an analytical approach towards historical images. It proposes as a first step of any analysis the identification of the „conventional meaning“ of visual sources.

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This page is a summary of: Überlegungen zu einer historiografischen Bildanalyse, Historische Zeitschrift, January 2017, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/hzhz-2017-0016.
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