From Heroic Science to Visual Studies: Pathways of Heraldry among Concepts, Images, and Contexts

The relationship between heraldry and academic research, especially in university context, has generally been neither easy nor straightforward.The reasons undoubtedly stem from various factors, but the core of the issue was summarized by Faustino Menndez Pidal: 1 stated in general terms, [heraldry] has not always had a good reputation-partly for good reason, as much of what has been written under this name does not merit scientific consideration, and partly without justification, as the disregard attributed to the texts should not have been extended to the subject itself.However, the excessive focus on matters of little or no interest and the numerous misguided interpretations led some to believe that achieving better results in this field was impossible."2 It is, therefore, a matter of historians' prejudice toward heraldic studies or heraldists; and, as a reaction and compensation, the latter's splendid isolation from the academic world-with honorable exceptions on both sides.Upon examining the reasons behind this mutual prejudice, it becomes evident that they largely stem from the way heraldic knowledge has been constructed until quite recently (if not to this day) by heraldists themselves.This image portrays heraldry as