In the course of the iconic turn, image theory has established itself as a foundation of cultural studies. The reflection on images, which has accompanied Western thought since Plato not only in philosophy but also in numerous other disciplines, today forms its own area of conceptual work. This introduction navigates through a complex terrain by examining the image-theoretical discussion based on four guiding questions: What connects images with recognition? What elements do images consist of? What function do images serve? And finally: Can images negate and critique? The authors presented include Aby Warburg, Jean-Paul Sartre, Meyer Schapiro, Jacques Lacan, Ernst Gombrich, Nelson Goodman, Richard Wollheim, Hans Belting, Gottfried Boehm, Horst Bredekamp, Wolfgang Kemp, David Summers, and Whitney Davis.