LESSON

SUBJECT MATTER OF ART

4
“Art is a subject that inundated with opinions.
In fact, that it is all about is opinions”
- Chick Corea
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Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the chapter, the students shall be able to:

 Understand the difference between representational and non-representational art;

 Classify artworks according to the major types of subject matter;
 Know the importance of representational and non-representational art; and
 Apply the understanding on representational and non-representational art through identifying subjects.
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The term subjects in art refers to the main idea that is represented in the artwork. The subject in art is
basically the essence of the piece. To determine subject matter in a particular piece of art.
The subject matter is the main idea presented in a piece of art. Usually, an idea that was taken from
the mind of the artist and translated into a visual representation of a thought, feeling, emotion, etc. What is
important to understand if you are an artist is connecting with your audience. As with any mode of media great
art has an emotional connection to the audience such as the Pieta for example. When one artist looks at
another’s work, they see the process used to create the art and appreciate the skill that went into the production
of the piece.

Representational vs. Nonrepresentational

What is Representational Art?

In painting and sculpture, the term “representational art” usually refers to images that are clearly
recognizable for what they purport to be, such as a human figure, banana, a tree. And so on. Such images
need to be true to life. So, a tree does not have to be green, or even upright nut it must clearly represent or be
recognizable as a tree. Nevertheless, one can say that representational art includes all imagery which
represents an identifiable object or series of objects. Common examples of this type of art include portraits,
traditional landscapes, painting of every scene, historical and mythological painting, still life and of course
various types of figurative and equestrian statue.
Representational Art which is sometimes known as Figurative art, also refers to paintings, sculpture
and other art forms that have clearly been copied from real objects. Portraying something that Physically exist
in reality, such as landscapes, a still life or a portrait, representational artworks are instantly recognizable once
they are created. As it is one of the most identifiable genres of art.
Representational painters typically act as observers and try to reproduce what they see. Of course,
they do interpret what they see – hence no two painters will paint a scene in identical fashion – but their primary
aim is to observe and reproduce the objects in front of them. Thus, for example, plein-air painting- an approach
popularized by 19th century impressionists – is almost always representational.
Examples of Representational Art

Ginevra de’ Benci (c. 1474-1478) by Leonardo da Vinci; Leonardo

da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

George Washington statue in the Boston Public Garden,

Boston, Massachusetts, USA, sculpted by Thomas Ball;
Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

A History of Representational Art

Existing as art that represents something Representational art is typically made up of subject matters
that are easily recognized by viewers. Some of the earliest examples of Representational art were cave
paintings which dates back about 40,000 years ago, and the Paleolithic figurine known as “The Venus of
Willendorf” said to be created about 25,000 years ago. Thus, this form of art is said to be one of the oldest in
existence, as a variety of examples can be traced from different genres that existed at separate times.
Most ancient art, which dates back to the stone age between 2,000,000 and 10,000 B.C.E., was said
to be representational. The sculptures and paintings produced in this era were often modelled off of real people,
idealized gods, or scenes from nature until the direction of representation turned to focus mainly on religious
subjects during the Middle Ages in Europe.
Some of the most beautiful Representational art examples were created during the Renaissance by
important artist such as Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci, who produced exceptionally realistic paintings
and sculptures. At this time of art history, artist` were typically commissioned to paint portraits of royalty,
meaning that the majority of the artworks in existence displayed depictions of real people.
Throughout the History, the majority of the paintings, drawings, and sculptures that have been made
are said to be forms of Representational art, as this genre represents on one the largest collections of artworks
to ever be created.
Despite going through many phases throughout art history, Representational Art history,
Representational art has retained the principle of presenting the viewer with distinct and obvious subject
matter. This essentially demonstrates that it is one of the most reliable art forms to exist.

Why is Representational Art Important?

According to the redoubtable philosopher Karl Popper, the objective significance of a statement is
dependent on whether the latter can be proved to be false. If it cannot be shown to be false, it has no great
significance.
Standard of Artistic Merit
Representational art is important first because it provides a standard by which artistic merit can be
judged. For example, a portrait can be judged according to the likeness it conveys of the sitter; a landscape
can be assessed according to its similarity with a particular scene; and a street – scene can be compared with
real-life; a painting of a darkened scene can be judged according to how well it depicts light and shadow, so
on.

A Foundation for All Visual Art

Representational art is an important foundation for all visual art, because it depends upon an artist’s
proficiency in drawing, perspective, use of color/tone, portrayal of light and overall composition: skills which
underpin numerous forms of visual art. Furthermore, these object skills can be taught to students for the benefit
of all, not least because such education can draw on, maintain and improve artistic methods.

Makes an Art Accessible to the Public

Representational images are easily recognizable and thus appreciable, they help to make it accessible
to the general public.

Representational Art when it comes to:

Religion
The fundamental function of most religious art is as religious
pedagogy to illustrate bodily postures and gestures or a story or
dogma of a religious tradition, as do visual symbols and
representational imagery. Beautiful ceremonial objects that priests or
religious officials employ in a sacramental manner or as part of a
religious ceremony, such as illustrated holy books, candelabra, or
chalices, have a clearly identifiable religious function.

Myths

In principle, the sort of relationship that exists

between myth and literature exists also with respect to the other
arts. In the case of architecture and sculpture, archaeological
discoveries confirm the primacy of mythical representations.
Among the earliest known three-dimensional objects built by
human beings are prehistoric megalithic and sepulchral
structures. Mythological details cannot actually be discerned, but
it is generally believed that such structures express mythological
concerns and that mythical images dictated the shape. An
especially intriguing example is the stone circle at Stonehenge in
southern England.
History

Representational art got its start many millennia

ago with Late Paleolithic figurines and carvings. Ancient
examples of representational art are often in the form of
sculptures, decorative friezes, bas-reliefs, and busts
representing real people, idealized gods, and scenes from
nature.

Human Figure

For centuries depictions of the human figure were prized more

highly than those of still-life, animals or landscape, and from the
Renaissance onward anatomy became a staple of the artist's training.
The human figure in art carries, in different ways and through
different periods, a huge significance, being the most direct means by
which art can address the human condition. In early societies its
significance was supernatural, a rendering of gods or spirits in human form.
Later, in the Renaissance, although Christianity provided the dominant
social belief system, western art's obsession with the figure reflected an
increasingly humanist outlook, with humankind at the center of the
universe.

Flora and Fauna

The desire to assign symbolism to animals
sharing our world connects human cultures across
time. Ever since humans first started drawing on cave
walls, the animal world served as an endless source
of fascination. Whether artists have used them literally
or figuratively, with or without human
subjects, depictions of animals in art remind us not
only of themselves, but also of the qualities and traits
we assign to them. Animals have been represented in
a variety of ways, as symbols, teachers of moral
lessons, aesthetic and scientific muses, talking
creatures, or companions.
Animals, both real and fantastic, occupied an
important place in medieval art and thought. Regularly
incorporating animal motifs into their decorative vocabulary, artists used various commonplace creatures and
mythical beasts to decorate sacred manuscripts or employed them to imbue utilitarian objects with majesty
and even humor. These depictions often took on a rich variety of symbolic associations. In Christian art, the
lamb was adopted as a symbol of Christ, emphasizing his sacrifice for humanity, while the griffin stood as a
guardian figure for the dead.
In nature, flowers have a simple purpose: reproduction. With bright petals and beautiful scents, they
lure insects to their pollen-filled centers to facilitate the plant’s fertilization and survival. Over millions of years,
flowering plants have evolved into around 400,000 species, producing blooms of different shapes and colors
that compete with one another for the attention of butterflies, ants, and bees. And creatives have been drawn
to them for their evocative qualities, too. Over the centuries, artists have captured the rich symbolism of flowers,
tracing the changing meanings of roses, irises, tulips, carnations, and more. Depending on the context, a single
flower can represent reproduction or decay, purity or promiscuity, love or hardship—or nothing more than a
pile of petals.

Still Life

A still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject

matter, typically commonplace objects that may be either natural
(food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, or shells) or man-made
(drinking glasses, books, vases, jewelry, coins, pipes, and so on).
Early still-life paintings, particularly before 1700, often contained
religious and allegorical symbolism relating to the objects depicted.
Some modern still life’s break the two-dimensional barrier and
employ three-dimensional mixed media, and use found objects,
photography, computer graphics, as well as video and sound.

Maria van Oosterwijk. Vanitas Still-

Life (1668)

Genre Art

Genre art is the pictorial representation in any of various media of

scenes or events from everyday life, such as markets, domestic settings,
interiors, parties, inn scenes, and street scenes. Such representations (also
called genre works, genre scenes, or genre views) may be realistic, imagined,
or romanticized by the artist.

Nicolaes Maes. The Idle Servant (1655)

Landscapes

Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is

the depiction in art of landscapes—natural scenery such as
mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, especially where
the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into
a coherent composition. In other works, landscape
backgrounds for figures can still form an important part of the
work. Sky is almost always included in the view, and weather is
often an element of the composition. Detailed landscapes as a
distinct subject are not found in all artistic traditions and develop
when there is already a sophisticated tradition of representing
other subjects.

Henri Matisse. Landscape at Collioure (1905).

Portraits

A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic

representation of a person, in which the face and its expression are
predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the
mood of the person. For this reason, in photography a portrait is generally not
a snapshot, but a composed image of a person in a still position. A portrait
often shows a person looking directly at the painter or photographer in order
to most successfully engage the subject with the viewer.

Philip Burne–Jones Holding a Cat

What is Nonrepresentational Art?
Nonrepresentational art is another way to refer to abstract art, though there is a difference between
the two. Fundamentally, nonrepresentational art is work does not represent or depict a being, a place, or a
thing in the natural world.
The words nonrepresentational art and abstract art are often used to refer to the same style of painting.
However, when an artist works in abstraction, they are distorting the view of a known thing, person, or place.
For example, a landscapes can easily be abstracted and Picasso often abstracted people.
Nonrepresentational art does not begin with a ‘thing” or a subject from which a distinctive abstract view
is formed. Instead, it is “nothing” but what the viewer interprets it as.
The beauty of nonrepresentational work is that it is up to us to give it our own interpretation. It is quite
opposite of looking at a still life of a teapot and knowing that it is a teapot. An abstract artist may use a Cubist
approach to break down the geometry of the teapot. If a nonrepresentational artist, on the other hand, was
thinking of teapot while painting a canvas, you’d never know it.
Many artists such as Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky (1866 – 1944) used a spiritual inspiration for
their paintings. He’s often classified as a nonobjective artist, though his work is also nonrepresentational. Some
people view the spiritual nature in his pieces and others do not, but few will disagree that there are emotion
and movement in his paintings. This subjective point of view to nonrepresentational art what bothers some
people about it. They want the art to be about something, so when they see random lines or perfectly shaped
geometric shapes, it challenges what they’re used to.
Therefore, an appropriate Non-Representational art definition describes artworks that display
complete abstraction and place more emphasis on the lines, colors, and shapes seen as opposed to any
objects.

Examples of Non-Representational Art

Tableau I (1921) by Piet Mondrian; Piet Mondrian, Public domain,

via Wikimedia Commons
The Rider (Lyrical) (1911) by Wassily Kandinsky; Wassily
Kandinsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

La Chambre à Coucher (‘The Bedroom’, 1889) by Vincent van

Gogh; Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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References:
 Encyclopedia of Art. What is representational art? Retrieved from: visual-art-lool.com
 Drawpaintacademy.com/representational-art/
 Gottesman S., (2017). A brief history of flowers in western art. Retrieved from: https://www.artsy.net/
 https://www.encyclopedia.com/
 https://www.thoughtco.com/
 https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/animals-art
 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/

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STUDENT ACTIVITY

Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

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(15pts)

1. Inside your home, look for representational and nonrepresentational thing.

2. Take a photo of it and briefly discuss why did you choose that certain thing.