Political Iconography: Poster, Icon, Badge. An Introductory Note

This paper serving as a key-note address has as its aim to propose some types of images crucial for conveying special political messages in medieval, primarily public, art. They are according to the author a poster, a condensed public image conveying a specific political message; an icon, an extrapolation of the central image, most often of a leader from a poster; and a badge, a highly abbreviated sign summing up the essence of a movement or an idea. The conclusion is that every art is at least somewhat “political” since as a piece of communication it aims at imposing one’s world view or ideology.