Iconclass
Encyclopedia
Iconclass is a specialized library classification
designed for art
and iconography
. It was originally conceived by Henri van de Waal, and was further developed by a group of scholars after his death.
The Iconclass system is probably the largest classification system for cultural content. Initially designed for historical imagery, it is now also used to create subject access to texts and to classify a wide range of images, including modern photography. At the moment it contains over 28,000 unique concepts (classification types) and has an entry vocabulary of 14,000 keywords. It can be consulted with the help of the freely available Iconclass 2100 browser.
Iconclass was developed in the Netherlands as a standard classification for recording collections, with the idea of assembling huge databases that will allow the retrieval of images featuring particular details, subjects or other common factors. For example, the Iconclass code "71H7131" is for the subject of "Bathsheba
(alone) with David's letter", whereas "71" is the whole "Old Testament
" and "71H" the "story of David
". A number of collections of different types have been classified using Iconclass, notably many types of old master print
, the collections of the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
and the German Marburger Index. These are available, usually on-line or on DVD
. The system can also be used outside pure art history, for example on sites like Flickr
.
The content of Iconclass is currently maintained by the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie
(Netherlands Institute for Art History). The online Iconclass browser is developed by the Henri van de Waal Foundation.
Library classification
A library classification is a system of coding and organizing documents or library materials according to their subject and allocating a call number to that information resource...
designed for art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
. It was originally conceived by Henri van de Waal, and was further developed by a group of scholars after his death.
The Iconclass system is probably the largest classification system for cultural content. Initially designed for historical imagery, it is now also used to create subject access to texts and to classify a wide range of images, including modern photography. At the moment it contains over 28,000 unique concepts (classification types) and has an entry vocabulary of 14,000 keywords. It can be consulted with the help of the freely available Iconclass 2100 browser.
Iconclass was developed in the Netherlands as a standard classification for recording collections, with the idea of assembling huge databases that will allow the retrieval of images featuring particular details, subjects or other common factors. For example, the Iconclass code "71H7131" is for the subject of "Bathsheba
Bathsheba
According to the Hebrew Bible, Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of David, king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah. She is most known for the Bible story in which King David seduced her....
(alone) with David's letter", whereas "71" is the whole "Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
" and "71H" the "story of David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
". A number of collections of different types have been classified using Iconclass, notably many types of old master print
Old master print
An old master print is a work of art produced by a printing process within the Western tradition . A date of about 1830 is usually taken as marking the end of the period whose prints are covered by this term. The main techniques concerned are woodcut, engraving and etching, although there are...
, the collections of the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
The Gemäldegalerie is an art museum in Berlin, Germany. It holds one of the world's leading collections of European art from the 13th to the 18th centuries. It is located on Kulturforum west of Potsdamer Platz. Its collection includes masterpieces from such artists as Albrecht Dürer, Lucas...
and the German Marburger Index. These are available, usually on-line or on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. The system can also be used outside pure art history, for example on sites like Flickr
Flickr
Flickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
.
The content of Iconclass is currently maintained by the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie
Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie
The Netherlands Institute for Art History is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center in the world. The center specializes in documentation, archives, and books on Western art from the late middle ages until modern times...
(Netherlands Institute for Art History). The online Iconclass browser is developed by the Henri van de Waal Foundation.