Democracy. The political iconography of modern key concepts

Abstract

The meanings of some modern political key concepts were set in the social imaginary not only by means of different kinds of texts and of speeches. Images also played a key role in the representation of concepts and were strategically used in the political fights aiming to connote and resignify them. Cartoons are a sort of pictures which became especially important during the historical process when the political iconography of key modern concepts was shaped. Cartoons were widely widespread through the illustrated press that combining graphic humor and political satires had an increasing popularity. The historical making of the meanings of the concepts from a visual narrative that blended ideas and symbols is here illustrated by a case study: democracy. Specifically this article tries to reconstruct the use of images of democracy from the first modern allegories included in the treatises on iconology published in the 17th Century to the World War II. In so doing, particular attention is paid to some historical moments when both the understanding and the meaning of democracy underwent major changes.]