Semiotic analysis uses the idea of denotation and connotation to describe literal and implied meanings within the visual.
Denotation describes what can be seen and its literal interpretation (e.g. a piece of fruit called and apple).
Connotation describes the possible meanings that are suggested by the literal elements (e.g. in a Renaissance painting, an apple might symbolise temptation).
Example: the ‘saucy’ seaside postcards pioneered by Bamforth Postcards in the early 1900s.
OCA Art Blog 