LiberIC: Iconography and iconology knowledge organization in book representations in Painting

Abstract

This study introduces the preliminary design of LiberIC, which is a description and cataloging tool that collects, controls, contextualizes, classifies, and grants access to representations of books in painting. We worked with a research sample consisting of two thousand paintings via the application of an exploratory and descriptive methodology. Through direct observation of these art pieces, we detected characteristics and particularities that could provide meaning to the pictorial representations of books in them. The collected data was then organized into major categories of information. Taking the principles of description and organization of knowledge as a starting point, and according to the formal style of other widely consolidated international cataloging rules, these categories were, henceforth, refined and progressively adjusted. As a result, we developed a descriptive code that arranged the collected data in nine areas and nearly 100 description fields, ultimately allowing every record to be retrieved through different authorized access points. To delve deeper into the shapes and meanings of these representations, we designed three of these areas in accordance with the theoretical foundations of modern iconography and iconology, which establish three distinct phases in the description, analysis, and interpretation of objects in Art. This tool fills a gap in the scientific literature and opens new paths of study. The way data have been structured generates a description model that can be extrapolated to other subjects. Replacing book description fields with description fields related to other types of objects produces a system capable of describing and cataloging any type of iconography.

Keywords

Bookbinding cataloging history of art history of books iconography iconology

1. Introduction

Documents and other sorts of knowledge media have always, throughout history, been depicted in creative productions. Since books adopted the codex format, approximately in the 4th century, they have been represented in all kinds of creative manifestations – mainly in painting – and have been endowed with a specific meaning and depicted in a certain shape, almost always in line with the technical and artistic influences of the moment. Similarly, these art pieces can be treated as documentary objects, susceptible of being described and cataloged. Even though the academic fields that should study this point of connection – Library and Information Science and History of Art – belong to different spheres of knowledge, they still share this intersectional area of research. However, such common ground has hardly been studied until now.

In order to understand these shapes and meanings, it is crucial to turn to the first treatises on iconography and iconology (Ripa, 1593). In these early texts, very limited meanings are provided. Back then, book representations were treated either as an obvious symbolism of knowledge or as figurative elements.

The authors of the works published during the 18th and 19th centuries showed an evident tendency to compile the same concepts and ideas, although this time in the form of dictionaries and encyclopedias (Gravelot, 1791; Prezel, 1779; Richardson, 1779; Noel, 1811; Guénebault, 1845; Castellanos, 1850; Wessely, 1874; Verneuil, 1897).

Likewise, the scientific literature of the 20th and early 21st century (Chevalier & Gheerbrant, 1986; Tervarent, 2002; Cirlot, 2006; Revilla, 2007) falls short in providing novel methods of understanding the shapes and meanings of these representations of books in Art. The book as an object is still considered an anecdotal element and researchers do not explore the possibility of determining new meanings by following the principles of modern iconography and iconology (Panofsky, 1939; 1955).

However, in recent years, these representations have begun to gain relevance and have been used as sources of information to reconstruct techniques and styles of ornamentation in bookbinding (McGrath, 2012; 2015), to deepen the significance of symbols and attributes of religious iconographies (Pérez Suescun, 2013; Feo, 2019), to analyze reading habits in certain segments of the population (Bernárdez, 2007; Sanmartín, 2019), and even to unravel the complex metadiscourse built by books and the collective imagery that surrounds them when books are used as figurative illustrations in rare and antique editions (Rozzo, 2016). Faced with the enormous amount of pictorial production in which books are portrayed, many of these recent studies use a series of decontextualized unconnected artworks as research samples. These analyses are then based on arbitrary descriptions that ignore many meaningful aspects of the book representations.

At present, several prestigious international cultural institutions, such as the Paul Getty Foundation (Harpring, 2019), are working on the creation of controlled vocabularies related to iconography to promote the study of meanings that objects acquire in Art. This is the case of the Getty Iconography Authority (IA), part of the Cultural Objects Name Authority (CONA) project. However, a simple search of the term “book” on this type of database returns few results. The retrieved records, despite being perfectly interrelated with the authority records of other cultural objects, provide superficial information, with no specific description fields that would allow us to delve deeper into their iconographic and iconological meanings.

2. Objectives

The specific objective to fill the aforementioned gap was to design a description and cataloging tool that would allow the collection, control, contextualization, classification, and access to the numerous representations of books in painting. The final aim was to provide the research community with an instrument that would standardize descriptions and consequently facilitate research in two ways. On the one hand, this tool would collect all those aspects related to the construction technique and ornamentation of books throughout history. On the other hand, it should bring together all the information necessary to conduct an in-depth and accurate reading of the iconographic and iconological meanings that books have acquired in the societies that have preceded us.

3. Methodology

Following an exploratory and descriptive methodology, we gathered a convenience sample consisting of two thousand paintings with a representation of at least one book. It is imperative, nevertheless, to stress that it is utterly impossible, even in approximate terms, to pinpoint all the occasions in which books have been represented in painting throughout history. For this reason, the sample was compiled according to a series of criteria and based on the principles of quantity and representativeness. Thus, the paintings are chronologically and geographically circumscribed to the European sphere, between the 4th and 20th centuries. Therefore, they have been created in the light of the main artistic movements prevailing in this period (Paleo Christian, pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art, Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Neo-Impressionism, Symbolism, and Avant-Garde). In accordance with their content and subject matter, these artworks can also be categorized in pictorial genres and subgenres, such as historical scene, mythological scene, religious scene, portrait, allegory, still life, or genre scene.

Representations of books were mostly literal – the object was identified as a book according to its own shape. However, abstract representations were also found, especially in paintings created during the 19th and 20th centuries as painters had tried to portray books without literally drawing the shapes that define them. In these circumstances, books were identified through the scrutiny of the elements and figures that accompanied them, as they determined the context and subject matter of the painting.

These artworks were collected from the main European museums through different sources, such as inventories, catalogs, or virtual displays on their websites. By direct observation, sometimes in situ during field trips, other times through high-quality photographic copies, these paintings were subjected to a pre-description process in which the basic identification data was documented, as well as a pre-descriptive scope on the technical, decorative and interpretative aspects of the representation of the book. Based on the scope notes, the descriptive requirements – the characteristics and particularities that could provide significance to the representations, either by their technical and decorative appearance, the relationship established with the scene, or the interaction with the general discourse of the artwork – were detected. The information extracted was then organized into major categories of information.

Illust. 1. “Young man holding a book”, by the Master of the View of Sainte Gudule, ca. 1480. Heart-shaped book used as a reinforcement of the iconography of St. Augustine. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Public domain).

Taking the principles of description and knowledge organization from other widely consolidated international cataloging standards – such as ISBD(C) (IFLA, 2011) for bibliographic materials, ISAD(G) (ICA, 2011) for documentary materials, and OA 3.0 (Ministerio, 2018) or ObjectID (ICOM, 1993) for cultural objects – as a starting point, we refined and adjusted these categories into information areas that were, in turn, subdivided into description fields. Both areas and fields were designed ad hoc, exclusively attending to the descriptive needs detected after processing the scope notes of the sample.

4. Results

As a result of this process of knowledge organization, we created nine large areas, in which the information was structured into nearly 100 description fields. These fields are, whenever possible, fed by standardized parameters, such as controlled vocabularies, thesaurus codes, etc. In some cases, these are also available access points used for the retrieval of the catalog record through indexes.

Thus, the area #0 provides basic aspects of control over the creation and maintenance of the catalog record. The area #1 contains data concerning the physical and digital location of the artwork. The areas #3, #4, and #5 – respectively related to the representation of the book, the scene in which it is depicted, and the interpretation that emerges from it – are topics of special interest in this research since they were designed according to the iconographic method of Panofsky (1939; 1955) (Fig. 1). This method established three distinct phases in the description, analysis, and interpretation of objects in Art: the pre-iconographic phase (i.e., the study of the pure shapes of the object), the iconographic phase (i.e., the study of these shapes in relation to its environment in view of the most intrinsic meanings), and finally the iconological phase (i.e., the determination of the symbolic values according to the context in which the artwork was created). The area #6 gathers all types of useful data that does not fit in the rest of the areas of the catalog record. The area #7 includes the photographic material of the cataloged artwork and information related to intellectual property. Finally, the area #8 brings together all the sources of information used in the cataloging process.

Figure 1.

Information areas and iconographic phases in LiberIC. Source: Own elaboration (2022).

An abbreviated scheme of the areas and fields is presented below (Table 1); an extended version is displayed in the annex. To simplify the comprehension of the description model, each field is introduced by a three-letter code that identifies the content and acts as an alias. After the field title, its typology is detailed.

Table 1

Abbreviated scheme of the information areas and description fields in LiberIC. Source: Own elaboration (2022)

Code	Field title	Typology
Area #0: Record control
[NCR]	Record control number	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[FCR]	Date of creation	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[FMR]	Date of last modification	Conditional, Repeatable
[RES]	Authorship of the record	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[ERE]	Related entry(ies)	Conditional, Repeatable
[CTR]	Citation of the record	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
Area #1: Location and access
[PRO]	Ownership	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable, Access Point
[LOF]	Physical location	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[ADI]	Digital access	Conditional, Repeatable
Area #2: Identification and context
[TIT]	Title	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable, Access Point
[VTI]	Variant title(s)	Conditional, Repeatable, Access Point
[AUT]	Author	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable, Access Point
[FAU]	Dates associated with the author	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[LAU]	Place associated with the author	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable, Access Point
[PER]	Membership	Optative, Non-Repeatable
[AUS]	Secondary author(s)	Conditional, Repeatable, Access Point
[TOB]	Typology of unity	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[TCR]	Typology of creation	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[TAU]	Typology of authorship	Optative, Non-Repeatable
[FCO]	Date of creation	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[EPO]	Period	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable, Access Point
[AGC]	Geographical area of creation	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[MAR]	Art movement	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[TYS]	Medium	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[DIM]	Dimensions	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[ORE]	Related artworks	Conditional, Repeatable, Access Point
Area #3: Object description (Pre-iconographic phase)
[RLI]	Book representation(s)	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[DEF]	Definition	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[POS]	Position	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[TRE]	Type of representation	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[FPR]	Form of presentation	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[MCU]	Body material	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[TXT]	Type of text	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[ETX]	Text box	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[ELS]	Support-based elements	Conditional, Repeatable
[LEG]	Readability	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[TNC]	Transcription	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[MAT]	Subject	Conditional, Repeatable
[EAT]	Auxiliary elements of the text	Conditional, Repeatable
[TEN]	Binding type	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[MCB]	Book’s cover material	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[CCU]	Color of the book’s cover	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[MLO]	Spine assembly	Conditional, Non-Repeatable

Table 1, continued
Area #3: Object description (Pre-iconographic phase)
[FLO]	Spine shape	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[CAB]	Endbands	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[COR]	Edges	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[EAU]	Auxiliary elements of the binding	Conditional, Repeatable
[OEX]	External ornamentation	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[TOR]	Ornamentation techniques	Conditional, Repeatable
[HOR]	Ornamentation tools	Conditional, Repeatable
[EOR]	Decorative style	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[SLE]	Reading and/or writing support	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[MBI]	Library manifestation	Conditional, Repeatable
Area #4: Scene description (Iconographic phase)
[CTP]	Pictorial genre	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable, Access Point
[ADG]	Genre annotation	Optative, Non-Repeatable
[DCO]	Overall description	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[DES]	Description of the scene	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[EIR]	Relevant iconographic elements	Conditional, Repeatable
[ICC]	Iconclass	Obligatory, Repeatable, Access Point
[RCD]	Descriptors	Obligatory, Repeatable, Access Point
[ELI]	Book-related space	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[MAE]	Writing materials	Conditional, Repeatable
Area #5: Object interpretation (Iconological phase)
[MIE]	Mission of the object	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[SOE]	Support of another element	Conditional, Repeatable
[ICP]	Interaction with a character	Conditional, Non-Repeatable, Access Point
[TDI]	Type of interaction	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
[GEN]	Character gender	Conditional, Non-Repeatable, Access Point
[OPE]	Character’s occupation	Conditional, Non-Repeatable, Access Point
[VIN]	Act of linking	Conditional, Non-Repeatable, Access Point
[IPS]	Interaction with a secondary character	Conditional, Repeatable, Access Point
[FIC]	Iconographic function	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable, Access Point
[LIC]	Iconographic line(s)	Obligatory, Repeatable, Access Point
[PIC]	Iconological interpretation proposal	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
Area #6: Notes
[NA0]	Record control note	Optative, Repeatable
[NA1]	Location and access note	Optative, Repeatable
[NA2]	Identification and context note	Optative, Repeatable
[NA3]	Object description note	Optative, Repeatable
[NA4]	Scene description note	Optative, Repeatable
[NA5]	Object interpretation note	Optative, Repeatable
[NA7]	Photographic documentation note	Optative, Repeatable
[NA8]	Reference list and bibliography note	Optative, Repeatable
Area #7: Photographic documentation
[FOT]	Image	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[FDE]	Detail	Obligatory, Repeatable
[SUM]	Supplier	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[COP]	Copyright	Obligatory, Non-Repeatable
[LCN]	License	Conditional, Non-Repeatable
Area #8: Reference list and bibliography
[REF]	Bibliographic references	Obligatory, Repeatable

5. Integration of LiberIC in an online database

In the attempt to turn this description model into a genuinely useful tool for the research community, it was designed from the very beginning with the aim of being translated into an online database that will be named after the model.

Currently, we are still working on the data architecture based on Structured Query Language (SQL) – which is necessary to translate this complex code into manageable interfaces – and testing a variety of Database Management Systems (DBMS). We are, nevertheless, at a point where we can conduct a few simulations.

Figure 2.

Data access layer, or backend interface, in LiberIC. Source: Own elaboration (2022).

On the one hand, the cataloger will work with the data access layer or backend interface (Fig. 2). We developed a procedure manual to assist him – it will provide the scope of information areas and description fields and resolve through a variety of examples those cases that may raise doubts. A dictionary of book iconographies and eight controlled vocabularies were also created as auxiliary tools. The purpose of this set of documentary languages is to supply a starting point for the development of the cataloging process in the iconographic phases, as well as to help avoid the use of free terminology in the information retrieval phase.

Figure 3.

Presentation layer, or frontend interface, in LiberIC. Source: Own elaboration (2022).

On the other hand, the presentation layer, or frontend interface (Fig. 3), is intended for the potential users. From this main screen, they can explore the iconography collection, browse the various indexes, learn more about LiberIC, search through keywords or perform advanced searches in a specific index, either by author, title, century, artistic movement, type of iconography, etc.

The implementation of LiberIC as a database will soon grant the cataloging of an initial corpus of 100 art pieces online access. This alone will gather the most significant book iconographies that have been identified until now.

6. Discussion and conclusions

The tool presented in this paper fills a gap in the scientific literature and opens potential new research routes, especially in disciplines such as History of books, Bookbinding, and History of art. LiberIC synthesizes the enormous complexity of understanding the representations of books in Art in a single information resource.

Thus, in the pre-iconographic phase, the tool provides an integral description of the technical and ornamental aspects of the construction and ornamentation of books as captured in painting. This way, it is feasible to consider these representations as reliable sources of study, especially bearing in mind that research on books and bookbinding through the direct observation of copies is biased – copies bound according to certain techniques or ornamented in certain decorative styles have not always been preserved. On the other hand, by incorporating the iconographic and iconological phases in its fields of description, LiberIC facilitates a detailed artistic analysis and interpretation, unveiling possible unexplored meanings.

The distribution of information areas and description fields that shape LiberIC were designed according to the descriptive needs that arose from the study of the sample. At the same time, since part of the sample was studied through photographic copies, some bias may exist. These potential distortions were counteracted by the examination of a portion of the sample in situ, during field visits. Nevertheless, the LiberIC cataloging model is in its initial version, therefore a testing stage to refine possible errors or inconsistencies will be required.

Although LiberIC enables full description and cataloging of the iconographies of books found in painting, other visual arts have particularities that require a different treatment. This is the case of the iconographies seen in sculpture, where books go from 2D to 3D and other factors come into play, such as the plastic deformation of the objects that improve, for example, volume and perspective. In this regard, the development of new fields in order to adjust the description model to the specificities brought by the rest of the visual arts will be required.

A major strength of LiberIC lies in its versatility. The tool consists of a description code not only effective for representations of books, but which can also be extrapolated to other subjects. Therefore, if fields in areas #3, #4, and #5 are replaced by fields adapted to other types of objects, a code capable of describing and cataloging any sort of iconography could be generated.

By fragmenting and standardizing all these descriptions into clear and sorted areas and fields, works of art are transformed into a set of metadata, therefore, potentially becoming open data for other cultural institutions, especially museums – they are the custodians of the primary sources used in this model and may be interested in studying the iconographies represented in their collections.

Annex: Information areas and description fields in LiberIC

An extended scheme of the areas and fields is presented in this annex. Each description field is introduced by a three-letter code that identifies the content and acts as an alias. After the field title, its typology is detailed according to the following abbreviations: OB: Obligatory; CN: Conditional; OP: Optional; R: Repeatable; NR: Non-Repeatable; PA: Access Point.

Area #0: Record control

This area provides basic aspects of control over the creation and maintenance of the catalog record. It is organized into the following description fields:

[NCR] Record control number (OB, NR). The correlative alphanumeric code assigned by order of entry into the catalog that uniquely identifies each record.

[FCR] Date of creation (OB, NR). The date of creation of the catalog record, written as “YYYY-MM-DD”.

[FMR] Date of last modification (CN, R). The date of modification of the catalog record, written as “YYYY-MM-DD”. A note indicating what kind of updates have been made in the revision should be made in parentheses. Due to the level of expertise required to carry out the description, only the cataloger who created the record should be able to update it.

[RES] Authorship of the record (OB, NR). The identity of the cataloger, denoted by his or her initials.

[ERE] Related entry(ies) (CN, R). The control number(s) of possible related catalog record(s). The linking between two or more records may occur when, for example, they may be required to link several simple pieces that together form a more complex artwork, as in the case of diptychs, triptychs, series, etc.

[CTR] Citation of the record (OB, NR). The reference of the catalog record. It should identify the title, the author, and the date of creation of the artwork, as well as the record control number and the URL where the catalog is hosted.

Area #1: Location and access

This area contains data concerning the physical and digital location of the artwork. It is organized into the following description fields:

[PRO] Ownership (OB, NR, PA). The name of the owner, standardized according to the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) or any other authority file considered pertinent. In the case of artworks belonging to an individual collector, the expression “Private collection” should be used, followed by the owner’s name in parentheses. If the owner is unknown, this name should be replaced by the term “Unknown.”

[LOF] Physical location (OB, NR). The name of the institution that physically hosts the artwork, standardized according to the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) or any other authority file considered pertinent. In the case of artworks belonging to an individual collector, “Private Collection” should be used, followed by the name of the city and the country in parentheses. If this last information is unknown, the expression “Location unknown” should be used.

[ADI] Digital access (OP, R). The uniform resource identifier (URI or URL) leading to a descriptive record, if it exists, on the website of the institution that owns the artwork, expressed via a link shortener.

Area #2: Identification and context

This area collects information about the identification of the artwork and the context in which it was created. It is organized into the following description fields:

[TIT] Title (OB, NR, PA). The title of the artwork, in Spanish.

[VTI] Variant title(s) (CN, R, PA). Other possible titles by which the artwork is known, including the title in the original language.

[AUT] Author (OB, NR, PA). The identity of the author, standardized according to the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) or any other authority file considered pertinent. In the case of authors whose identity remains unknown, the expression “Author unknown” should be used. In the case of authors who did not sign the artworks of their own free will, the expression “Anonymous author” should be used. For other cases, expressions such as “Workshop of…” or “Circle of $\ldots$ ” may be used.

[FAU] Dates associated with the author (OB, NR). Dates of birth and death associated with the author of the artwork. If dates are approximate, the term “Towards” followed by the year should be used. If unknown, the dates of activity should be indicated, using the term “Active.” If these are also unknown, the term “Dates unknown” should be used as a last resort.

[LAU] Place associated with the author (OB, NR, PA). Place of birth of the author. If unknown, the expression “Place unknown” should be used.

[PER] Membership (OP, NR). The membership of the author in an art school when this information differs from the art movement in which the author’s production is classified.

[AUS] Secondary author(s) (CN, R, PA). The identity of secondary author(s), standardized according to the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) or any other authority file considered pertinent. This field will be used when cataloging derivative artworks or paintings executed in collaboration by more than one artist.

[TOB] Typology of unity (OB, NR). The nature of the artwork according to its uniqueness. If the artwork was intended to act on its own, the expression “Simple representation” should be used. If the artwork belongs to a set, as in the case of diptychs, triptychs, series, etc., the expression “Complex representation” should be used. If there is suspicion that the artwork belonged to a set, but it is not possible to prove it, it will be treated as a single item.

[TCR] Typology of creation (OB, NR). The nature of creation according to its originality. If it is an original creation, the expression “Original artwork” should be used. If it is a copy of an original artwork, the expression “Derivative artwork” should be used, followed in parentheses by the identifying data of the original artwork.

[TAU] Typology of authorship (OB, NR). The nature of authorship according to the knowledge about its creation. If the authorship is documented, the expression “Documented authorship” should be used. If authorship has been attributed but not confirmed, the expression “Attributed authorship” should be used.

[FCO] Date of creation (OB, NR). Date of creation of the artwork, written in years. For approximate dates, the term “Towards” followed by the year of creation should be used. To indicate a time range, the term “Between” followed by the range of years should be used. Expressions such as “Before $\ldots$ ” or “After $\ldots$ ” may also be used only if the exact date is unknown.

[EPO] Period (OB, NR, PA). Historical age or period in which the artwork was created, expressed in centuries, in Arabic numerals.

[AGC] Geographical area of creation (OB, NR). The place of creation of the artwork. If this information is unknown, the expression “Place unknown” should be used.

[MAR] Art movement (OB, NR). The art movement in which the artwork may be classified according to its date of creation and its artistic features.

[TYS] Medium (OB, NR). The technique and the medium used in the creation of the artwork.

[DIM] Dimensions (OB, NR). The size of the artwork, expressed in height per width, in centimeters.

[ORE] Related artworks (CN, R, PA). The identifying information (author, title, date of creation) of other artworks related to the catalogued painting.

Area #3: Object description (Pre-iconographic phase)

This area reflects all the features related to the description of the raw shape of the object and allows the pre-iconographic study. It is organized into the following fields:

[RLI] Book representation(s) (OB, NR). The nature of the representation(s) of the book, according to the number of representations existing in the artwork. If only one book is depicted, the expression “Single representation” should be used. If two or more representations appear in the scene, the expression “Multiple representations” should be used.

[DEF] Definition (OB, NR). The level of pictorial definition that the artist has given to the object. When the book is a blurred shape without details, the expression “Low definition” should be used. When the book has a more defined shape but we still can’t observe its details, the expression “Medium definition” should be used. If the book is depicted with a substantial amount of detail, the expression “High definition” should be used.

[POS] Position (OB, NR). The location that the object occupies within the general view of the artwork, such as top, middle, lower, top-left, top-right, center-left, center-right, lower-left, or lower-right position.

[TRE] Type of representation (OB, NR). The nature of the representation according to its contemporaneity. If the representation of the book corresponds to the characteristics of the time in which the artwork was created, the expression “Contemporary representation” should be used. In the case of a representation that does not correspond to the time of creation (for example, the book is represented as a codex when the codex format did not yet exist), the expression “Figurative representation” should be used.

[FPR] Form of presentation (OB, NR). The manner in which the object is displayed, open or closed.

[MCU] Body material (CN, NR). The apparent composition material of the body of the book, such as paper or parchment. If it is not possible to provide this information, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[TXT] Type of text (CN, NR). The nature of the texts depicted in the book according to its creation technique. If the handwritten technique is visible, the expression “Handwritten text” should be used. If texts correspond to the visual characteristics of a printed page, the expression “Printed text” should be used. If the book shows no texts on its pages, the expression “No text” should be used. If it is not possible to distinguish the nature of texts, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[ETX] Text box (CN, NR). The nature of the text box according to the columns it occupies on each page: one column, two columns, etc. If columns are not regular, the expression “Irregular columns” should be used. If it is not possible to discern the nature of the box, the term “Indeterminate” should be used.

[ELS] Support-based elements (CN, R). Elements such as writing or printing inks, according to their typology. If it is not possible to determine what the elements are, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[LEG] Readability (CN, NR). Readability of the text depicted in the book. If the text is interpretable, “Legible text” shall be used. If it is not, “Illegible text” should be used. If it is not possible to determine, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[TNC] Transcription (CN, NR). Quoted and literal transcription of the text shown in the book.

[MAT] Subject (CN, R). Up to four keywords describing the subject of the book according to the transcription of the text, selected from a controlled vocabulary compiled for this purpose.

[EAT] Auxiliary elements of the text (CN, R). Supplementary elements that assist the text, such as capital letters, pilcrows, paragraphs, manicules, etc., selected from a controlled vocabulary compiled for this purpose. If auxiliary elements appear and whose type may not be determined, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[TEN] Binding type (CN, NR). The type of binding according to its apparent assembly that should be selected from a controlled vocabulary compiled for this purpose. If it is not possible to appreciate this detail, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[MCB] Book’s cover material (CN, NR). The apparent composition material of the covers. If not discernible, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[CCU] Color of the book’s cover (CN, NR). The predominant color of the covers of the book. If not discernible, the term “Indeterminate” should be used.

[MLO] Spine assembly (CN, NR). The nature of assembly observed on the spine of the book. If it is not possible to appreciate it, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[FLO] Spine shape (CN, NR). The shape of the spine according to its assembly. If this element is visible but it is not possible to accurately appreciate it, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[CAB] Endbands (CN, NR). The nature of the endbands in the book. If there are none, the expression “No endbands” should be used. If this element is visible but it is not possible to appreciate it accurately, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[COR] Edges (CN, NR). The condition of the book edges. If this element is visible but it is not possible to appreciate it accurately, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[EAU] Auxiliary elements of the binding (CN, R). The secondary components of the binding, such as closures, corners, etc., selected from a controlled vocabulary compiled for this purpose.

[OEX] External ornamentation (CN, NR). External decoration of the book. If the binding shows any type of ornamentation, the expression “Adorned binding” should be used. Otherwise, the expression “Unadorned binding” should be used. If the ornamentation supports, such as the covers and/or the spine, are visible but it is not possible to tell if the book is ornamented, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[TOR] Ornamentation techniques (CN, R). The ornamentation technique used to decorate the book. If the ornamentation is noticeable but it is not possible to determine its technique, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[HOR] Ornamentation tools (CN, R). The tools involved in the decoration of the book. If the ornamentation is noticeable but the tools that should have been used cannot be identified, the term “Undetermined” should be used.

[EOR] Decorative style (CN, NR). The artistic style of the book’s ornamentation. Terms should be selected from a controlled vocabulary compiled for this purpose.

[SLE] Reading and/or writing support (CN, NR). The reading or writing supports upon which the book rests, such as lecterns, pulpits, desks, etc. Terms should be selected from a controlled vocabulary compiled for this purpose.

[MBI] Library manifestation (CN, R). Features found in the book that reveal its connection to the librarian culture. Terms should be selected from a controlled vocabulary compiled for this purpose.

Area #4: Scene description (Iconographic phase)

This area, which integrates the aspects related to the description of the scene, facilitates the analysis of the iconographies found in the artwork. It is organized into the following description fields:

[CTP] Pictorial genre (OB, NR, PA). The genre or pictorial category in which the artwork can be classified according to its theme.

[ADG] Genre annotation (OP, NR). In-depth annotation of the pictorial genre in which the artwork can be classified according to its theme.

[DCO] Overall description (CN, NR). Brief overall description of the complete scene if the artwork is a complex representation composed of several simple individual artworks.

[DES] Description of the scene (OB, NR). Brief description of the scene.

[EIR] Relevant iconographic elements (CN, R). Other iconographic elements found in the artwork that may or may not be related to the representation of the book.

[ICC] Iconclass code (OB, R, PA). Up to four codes selected from the Iconclass thesaurus that best describe the iconography under study.

[RCD] Descriptors (OB, R, PA). Up to four keywords describing the artwork without focusing on specific aspects.

[ELI] Book-related space (CN, NR). The space associated with the world of books, such as a library, an archive, a printing house, a bookbinder’s workshop, etc.

[MAE] Writing material (CN, R). The material or tools related to the act of writing. Terms should be selected from a controlled vocabulary compiled for this purpose.

Area #5: Object interpretation (Iconological phase)

This area integrates the aspects that facilitate the reading and iconological interpretation of the artwork. It is organized into the following description fields:

[MIE] Mission of the object (OB, NR). The mission that the book fulfills within the overall scene. If the book acts as a reinforcing element for an idea, the expression “Reinforcing element” should be used. If the book acts as a substitution for another idea, the expression “Substitution element” should be used. If the book is merely a figurative component, the expression “Null element” should be used.

[SOE] Support of another element (CN, R). The elements for which the book acts as a support. Terms should be selected from a controlled vocabulary compiled for this purpose.

[ICP] Interaction with a character (CN, NR). If the book is part of the discourse of the artwork’s main character, his or her identity will be standardized according to the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) or any other authority file considered pertinent. If the identity is unknown, the expression “Unknown character” should be used.

[TDI] Type of interaction (CN, NR). The nature of the interaction established between the main character and the book. If the main character is in direct contact with the object, the expression “Direct interaction” should be used. If the character has indirect contact with the book, the expression “Indirect interaction” should be used. If the book has no interaction at all with the character, the expression “No interaction” should be used.

[GEN] Character gender (CN, NR, PA). The gender of the main character in the painting who’s interacting with the book. In the case of celestial figures, such as angels, the expression “Asexual being” should be used.

[OPE] Character’s occupation (CN, NR, PA). The profession or occupation of the main character in the painting who’s interacting with the book. It should be selected from a controlled vocabulary compiled for this purpose. If the profession is not known, the expression “Unknown profession” should be used.

[VIN] Act of linking (CN, NR, PA). The role that defines the relationship between the main character and the book, selected from a controlled vocabulary compiled for this purpose.

[IPS] Interaction with a secondary character (CN, R, PA). If the book is part of the discourse of a secondary character who accompanies the main character, his or her identity will be standardized according to the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) or any other authority file considered pertinent. If the identity is unknown, the expression “Unknown character” should be used.

[FIC] Iconographic function (OB, NR, PA). The iconographic purpose that the representation of the book fulfills within the scene. The book will be considered an attribute when it acts as an accessory that characterizes and helps to identify a character. It will be considered a symbol when it replaces an entity of immaterial nature, such as an idea. It will be considered a mere figurative element when it does not fulfill any of the previous categories.

[LIC] Iconographic line(s) (OB, R, PA). The iconographic line(s) chosen from the dictionary developed for this purpose. They establish a set of basic meanings of the book’s iconographies in accordance with the studied historical sources.

[PIC] Iconological interpretation proposal (CN, NR). Brief proposal on the iconological interpretation that the book fulfills, regarding the scene in which it is represented. This interpretation shall be based on the iconographic lines selected above and must be supported by reliable sources.

Area #6: Notes

This area gathers all types of useful data that does not fit in the rest of the areas of the catalog record. It is organized into the following description fields:

[NA0] Record control note (OP, R). Information that did not fit in Area #0.

[NA1] Location and access note (OP, R). Information that did not fit in Area #1.

[NA2] Identification and context note (OP, R). Information that did not fit in Area #2.

[NA3] Object description note (OP, R). Information that did not fit in Area #3.

[NA4] Scene description note (OP, R). Information that did not fit in Area #4.

[NA5] Object interpretation note (OP, R). Information that did not fit in Area #5.

[NA7] Photographic documentation note (OP, R). Information that did not fit in Area #7.

[NA8] Reference list and bibliography note (OP, R). Information that did not fit in Area #8.

Area #7: Photographic documentation

This area includes the photographic material of the cataloged artwork and information related to intellectual property. It is organized into the following description fields:

[FOT] Image (OB, NR). A high-quality photograph of the artwork, preferably in JPEG or PNG format.

[FDE] Detail (OB, R). A detailed photograph showing, as clearly as possible, the representation of the book.

[SUM] Supplier (OB, NR). The source from which the photographic material was taken. If it is taken from a published work, the abbreviated bibliographic reference should be used. The complete reference should be given in Area #8.

[COP] Copyright (OB, NR). The name of the person or institution that holds the intellectual property rights of the photograph will be always preceded by the symbol ©. If the photographic material has been taken from the website of a museum, the standardized credit line required by the institution should be used. In the case of photographs in the public domain, the expression “Work in the public domain” should be used.

[LCN] License (CN, NR). Type of intellectual property license concerning the photographic material.

Area #8: Reference list and bibliography

This area brings together all the sources of information used in the cataloging process. It is organized into the following description fields:

[REF] Bibliographic references (OB, R). An alphabetical list of works used or cited in the record, according to the APA style.

References

Bernárdez

(2007). Pintando la lectura: mujeres, libros y representación en el siglo de oro. Edad de Oro, XXVI, 67-89.

Castellanos de Losada

B. S.

(1850). Compendio del sistema alegórico y diccionario manual de la iconología universal. Madrid: Imprenta de D. B. González.

Chevalier

, & Gheerbrant

(1986). Diccionario de los símbolos. Barcelona: Herder.

Cirlot

J. E.

(2006). Diccionario de símbolos. 10

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edición. Madrid: Siruela.

Feo

(2019). Cosa leggeva la Madonna? Quasi un romanzo per immagini. Firenze: Polistampa.

Gravelot

H. F.

, & Cochin

C. N.

(1791). Iconologie par figures, ou Traité complet des allegories, emblemes, etc.: ouvrage utile aux artistes, aux amateurs, et pouvant servir à l’education des jeunes personnes (3 vols). París: Chez Le Pan.

Guénebault

L. J.

(1845). Dictionnaire Iconographique des Monuments de l’Antiquité Chrétienne et du Moyen Age… (2 vols). París: Ch. Porquet.

Harpring

(2019). Getty Iconography Authority: Introduction and Overview [Working document of the Getty Vocabulary Program]. J. Paul Getty Trust. Accessible in: https://www.getty.edu.

International Council on Archives (ICA) (2011). ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description. Second edition. Accessible in: https://www.ica.org/.

10.

International Council of Museums (ICOM) (1993). ObjectID: Object Identification. Accessible in: https://icom.museum/.

11.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) (2011). ISBD: International Standard Bibliographic Description. Consolidated Edition. Accessible in: https://www.ifla.org/.

12.

Mcgrath

(2012). Books in Art: the meaning and significance of images of books in Italian religious painting, 1250-1400 [Doctoral Thesis]. Sussex: University.

13.

Mcgrath

(2015). Using religious art as pictorial evidence for Medieval Book History. Book History, 18, 33-47.

14.

Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo & Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione (2018). Normativa OA: Opere e Oggetti d’Arte. Norme di compilazione. Accessible in: http://www.iccd.beniculturali.it/.

15.

Noël

(1810). Dictionnaire de la Fable. Paris: Le Normant.

16.

Panofsky

(1955). El significado en las artes visuales. Madrid: Alianza, 2008.

17.

Panofsky

(1939). Estudios sobre Iconología. Madrid: Alianza, 2008.

18.

Pérez Suescun

(2013). Los evangelistas en el scriptorium…Funciones y prácticas de la escritura. Madrid: Universidad Complutense; Escalona: Ayuntamiento, 193-200.

19.

Prezel

(1779). Dictionnaire iconologique ou introduction a la connoissance des peintures…Paris: Chez Hardoiun.

20.

Revilla

(2007). Diccionario de Iconografía y Simbología. 5

{}^{\text{a}}

edición ampliada. Madrid: Cátedra.

21.

Richardson

(1779). Iconology, or a collection of emblematical figures… (2 vols.) London: G. Scott.

22.

Ripa

(1593). Iconologia, overo, Descrittione dell’Imagini universali. Roma: Gli heredi di Gio. Gigliotti.

23.

Rozzo

(2016). Iconologia del libro nelle edizioni dei secoli XV e XVI. Udine: Forum.

24.

Sanmartín Bastida

(2019). La mujer lectora: el mito del siglo XIX. Madrid: Archivos Vola.

25.

Tervarent

(2002). Atributos y Símbolos en el Arte Profano. Diccionario de un Lenguaje Perdido. Barcelona: Ediciones del Serbal.

26.

Verneuil

M. P.

(1897). Dictionnaire des symboles, emblèmes & attributs. París: Librairie Renouard.

27.

Wessely

J. E.

(1874). Iconographie Gottes und der Heiligen. Leipzig: T. O. Weigel.