iconography

noun

1. the art of representing or illustrating by pictures, figures, images, etc.
2. the study of symbols, themes, and subject matter in the visual arts through the identification, description, classification, and definition of these elements
3. pl. iconographies icons collectively; esp., any system, use, or collection of symbols or images of a particular artist, artistic or historical period, religious tradition, etc.: Hindu iconography, the iconography of Blake
4. iconology