EXPLOITING ICONOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTS
Methodology Guide for Analysis and Classroom Use

The study of iconographic documents is a key academic skill. Photographs, paintings, posters, drawings, advertisements, and digital visuals all communicate meaning through composition, symbols, context, and perspective. This guide proposes a clear method to help learners observe, analyse, interpret, and reuse visual documents effectively.

A. IDENTIFY AND REACT

Identify the document
• Nature of the image: photograph, painting, illustration, poster, screenshot, etc.
• Title or caption (if available)
• Author or source
• Date and place of production or publication
• Historical, social, or cultural context
Describe your first reaction
• What emotion or impression emerges at first glance?
• Is the atmosphere calm, tense, hopeful, celebratory, critical, or dramatic?
• Who might be the intended audience?

Useful prompts:
“This image seems to show…”
“It suggests a feeling of…”
“The viewer may react by…”

B. OBSERVE AND ANALYSE

Objective description
Focus only on what is visible before interpreting.
• Foreground, middle ground, background
• Top, bottom, left, right, centre
• Colours, light, shadows, contrasts
• People, objects, gestures, expressions
• Text included in the image (signs, slogans, captions)
Composition and visual strategies
• Framing: close-up, medium shot, wide shot
• Angle: eye level, low angle, high angle
• Focus: what draws the eye first?
• Symbols or recurring motifs
• Movement or stillness
Relationships and contrasts
• Similarities and differences between elements
• Opposition between colours, groups, or ideas
• How scale and position create meaning

Useful prompts:
“In the foreground we can see…”
“The central element highlights…”
“The contrast between … and … emphasises…”

C. INTERPRET AND EXPLOIT

Interpretation
• What message or viewpoint might the creator express?
• Which themes appear: identity, power, conflict, solidarity, environment, technology, memory, etc.?
• How does the image relate to its historical or cultural context?
Critical perspective
• Is the image neutral, persuasive, symbolic, or documentary?
• What choices shape the viewer’s perception?
• What might be absent or outside the frame?
Pedagogical exploitation
Iconographic documents can support many classroom activities:
• Oral description and debate
• Creative writing inspired by the scene
• Vocabulary building through visual prompts
• Comparative analysis between images
• Media literacy and critical thinking exercises
• Role-play or narrative reconstruction

Useful prompts:
“The artist may want to emphasise…”
“This visual element could symbolise…”
“The image encourages the viewer to…”

Conclusion

Working with iconographic material requires careful observation, structured analysis, and thoughtful interpretation. By moving from description to meaning, learners develop visual literacy, linguistic precision, and critical awareness.

REVISION SHEET
HOW TO PRESENT AN ICONOGRAPHIC DOCUMENT

I. IDENTIFY THE DOCUMENT

A. Nature of the document

Use simple introductory sentences:

• This document is a… / This document consists of…
• A photograph / a photo / a snapshot / a shot of…
• A drawing drawn by…
• A cartoon drawn by…
• A comic strip / strip cartoon
• An advertisement / an advert / an ad / a full-page advertisement
• A poster displayed on a hoarding
• A chart / a diagram / a graph / a pie-chart
• A map
• A painting: portrait / landscape (seascape, townscape) / still life / genre scene / historical or mythological painting

B. Origin of the document

• It dates from…
• It comes from… / It is an extract from…
• It is an advertisement for…
• It could be seen in… / on…
• It was published in… on (day + date)
• It is a shot from a film entitled…, directed by…, starring…, set in…
• It was drawn by… / painted by… / taken by… / made by…
• It is a document by + name

II. DESCRIBE THE DOCUMENT

Always begin with the obvious elements. Answer the WH questions: Who? What? Where? When?

A. Composition

• To begin with, I will describe the layout of the document.
• It consists of… / It is composed of… / It is made up of…
• There is a title / slogan / text / photograph / drawing / cartoon / chart / caption / speech bubble…
• It shows… / It represents… / We can see…
• It is a close-up.
• It is divided into two frames.
• In the picture…

B. Colours

Vocabulary:

warm colours
cold colours
bold colours
bright colours
light colours
soft colours

Useful structures:

• The picture is painted in… colours.
• The dominating colours are…
• The colours contrast with each other.
• There is a sharp contrast between…

C. Location in the image

• The scene takes place in… / The setting is…
• It is seen from a distance / from above / from below
• At the top of the page / at the bottom
• On the right-hand side / on the left-hand side…
• In the middle / under the title / below the picture / next to…
• Between / behind / in front of / above / under…

D. Describing people

Number:

• There is one person / There are several people…

Gender:

• a man / a woman / men / women

Age:

• child / teenager / adult / middle-aged / elderly
• He is in his forties.
• She is in her mid-forties.

Clothing:

• He is wearing… / She has … on.

Actions (BE + ING):

• He is sitting.
• She is standing.
• They are walking.

Mood and attitude:

He looks + adjective
She seems to…
It looks as if…

Examples of adjectives:

happy, angry, bored, confident, confused, curious, depressed, determined, excited, frightened, proud, relaxed, sad, shocked, suspicious, tired, worried, etc.

III. ANALYSE THE DOCUMENT

Explain the message and implicit meaning.

• The subject is… / The topic is…
• It deals with… / It refers to… / It illustrates…
• We can infer that… / We can conclude that… / We can imagine that…
• The author suggests that…
• The aim is to entertain / criticize / convey values / pass on a message / shock / surprise.

Expressions:

• The document raises the issue of…
• The message is…
• The author wants to draw our attention to…
• The aim is to make us think about…
• Teenagers / adults / women… are the target audience.

Symbolism:

• The … is a symbol.
• It represents / stands for / embodies…

IV. EXPRESS YOUR OPINION

Useful phrases:

• In my opinion / To my mind / As far as I am concerned
• It seems to me that…
• I believe that… / I am convinced that…
• I approve of… / I disapprove of… / I disagree with…
• It reminds me of…
• I find this document…

Adjectives:

accurate, amusing, convincing, confusing, disturbing, effective, entertaining, exaggerated, original, puzzling, realistic, shocking, strange, thought-provoking, topical, true to life, unusual, etc.