Assess understanding of core semiotic concepts and their application to interpreting visual artworks, including sign/signifier/signified, denotation vs. connotation, icon/index/symbol (Peirce), codes and conventions, cultural myths, and syntagmatic/paradigmatic relations. Items will require clear definitions, comparison of Saussurean and Peircean approaches, and short analytic responses applying these concepts to sample images to justify multiple-level readings with attention to visual elements and cultural context.