Art Appreciation
GERNAH MAY SANTIANES
Faculty, DALL
Subject and
Content of Art
Chapter 2: Subject and Content of Art
Topics
Subject of Art
Content of Art
General Objectives
• Classify artworks according to subject;
• Analyse how artists present their subjects in
relation to the real subject;
• Differentiate content from subject; and
• Characterize sources and kinds of subjects.
Overview of the Chapter
It covers the subject as a dynamic
and forceful as a man’s way of
life, culture, and imagination.
It will disclose the passion,
sincerity, and conviction of every
artist that serves as an extension
of his emotions, ideas, or beliefs.
What is the subject of art?
• It is varied. It can be the following:
• Person
• Object
• Scene
• Events/Real events
• Invented/Make-believe
• Anything under the sun!
Two Kinds of Art as to Subject
Representational or
Objective
Nonrepresentation or
Non-objective Art
Two Kinds of Art as to Subject
Representational or Objective
Art
•Art that depicts objects that are
commonly recognized by people.
•Portray the subject as it is.
Representational or Objective Art
Examples:
• Still life
• Portrait
• Landscapes, Seascapes,
Moonscapes, Cityscapes
• Mythology and Religion,
Dreams and Fantasies. Pieter Claesz, “Vanitas – Still Life,” 1625
"Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Johannes Vermeer
Two Kinds of Art as to Subject
Nonrepresentational or Non-
objective Art
• They are those arts without any
reference to anything outside itself.
• It uses content and is concerned
with “how” the artwork is depicted.
• The goal is to attempt to show how
ideas and feelings.
Two Kinds of Art as to Subject
Sources of the
Subject of Art
• Nature
• History
• Greek and Roman
Mythology
• Religion
• Sacred and Oriental
Texts
What is the content of art?
• It is the meaning, message, and/or feeling imparted by a work of
art.
• Content is linked with form, which refers to the pictorial aspect of
art.
❖ The Art’s imagery
❖ The symbolic meaning
❖ Its surrounding where it is used or displayed.
❖ The customs, beliefs, and values of the culture that uses it.
❖ Writings that help explain the work.
How to better understand art?
Subjective
Meaning
Convention
al meaning
Factual
meaning
Keeping Art
A country, society, and individual
may hold on to artwork beyond
usefulness, which may involve
meaning and economic value.
Public and private institution like
museums and galleries are design
for keeping art, preserving and
restoring it.
National Pride and Glory
Nations keep art because of the
following reasons:
• Economy
• Business
• Major archaeological, religious,
or architectural sites stimulates
economy, attract tourists, and
generate jobs.
What is the value of Art to Nation?
Nations keep art because of the
following reasons:
• Economy
• Business
• Major archaeological, religious,
or architectural sites stimulates
economy, attract tourists, and
generate jobs.
Museums and Private Collections
Museums are repositories of much of the art in most countries for
public viewing through permanent or temporary exhibitions.
It does not sell works of art but hold them in public trust for
education and conservation practices.
Private collections are older than museums. Rulers, nobles, and
priests collected art and kept it in palace and/or temples for
aesthetic, pleasure, personal or ritual use, or display of power!
Preservation and Restoration
Art is valuable hence enormous human
effort and financial resources are allotted
to preserving and safeguarding art from
the ravages of time, environment,
industrial by-products, and even other
human beings.
Preservation and Restoration
Art preservation is not easy nor cheap.
