SUBJECT AND

CONTENT OF ART
Chapter II

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THE SUBJECT OF ART
 The Subject of Art
The subject of art is the matter to be
described or to be portrayed by the artist. This
may refer to any person, object, scene, or event.
The Subject of Art
The subject could be
make-believe,
imaginary, and
invented.
The Subject of Art
Subjects can also be
real events.
TWO KINDS OF ART AS TO SUBJECT
1. Representational or Objective
Art
• These are the arts that depict (represent) objects that are
commonly recognized by most people.
• They use “form” and are concerned with “what” is to be
depicted in the artwork.
• They attempt to portray the subject as it is.
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2. Nonrepresentational or
Nonobjective Art
They are those arts without any reference to anything
outside itself (without representation). This kind of art is
nonobjective because it has no recognizable objects. It is
abstract in the sense that it does not represent real objects in
our world. It uses “content” and is concerned with “how” the
artwork is depicted.
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SOURCES OF THE SUBJECT OF ART
1. NATURE
Next to animals and people and their activities, nature
as landscapes has been the common subject of the arts. It
has been the most common inspiration and subject.
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2. HISTORY
All art is conditioned by the historical period in which it is
created. Rulers like to have themselves and the great deeds
of their time perpetuated, consequently, statues and paintings
of the great are found in each civilization.
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3. GREEK AND ROMAN
MYTHOLOGY
This has been a very important source of subjects in the
arts. These arts are so famous that they count as a definite
part of our inheritance. During the Renaissance period, poets,
painters, and sculptors drew largely from Greek and Roman
sources for subjects.
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4. RELIGION
It has played an enormous role in inspiring works of
visual arts, music, architecture, and literature through the
ages. It was during the Renaissance that the European
artisans became “artists” and conscious of their role in a way
that had never been true before.
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5. SACRED ORIENTAL TEXTS
Sacred texts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism,
Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, and Islam.
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THE CONTENT OF ART
 THE CONTENT OF ART
• It is the meaning, message, and/or feeling imparted
by a work of art.
• Content is inextricably linked with form, which refers
to the pictorial aspects of art.
 THE CONTENT OF ART
It is the mass of ideas associated with each artwork and
communicated through the following:
1. The arts imagery
2. The symbolic meaning
3. Its surroundings where it used or displayed
4. The customs, beliefs, and values of the culture that
uses it.
5. Writings that help explain the work
 “THE
ENTERTAINERS
”
(1874)

by
Gustave Dore
 “LA
MELANCOLIE
”
(1785)

by
Louis-Jean-
Francois
Lagrenee
“THE SAD
MESSAGE”
(1838)

by
Peter Fendi
THREE LEVELS OF MEANING
1. FACTUAL MEANING
It is the literal statement or narrative content in
the work that can be directly apprehended because
the objects presented are easily recognized.
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2. CONVENTIONAL MEANING
It refers to the special meaning that the certain
object or color has for a particular culture or group of
people when it is shown in an artwork.
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3. SUBJECTIVE MEANING
It refers to the individual meaning deliberately and
instinctively expressed by the artist using a personal
symbolism that stems from his own alliance with
certain objects, actions, or colors with past
experiences.
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KEEPING ART
1. NATIONAL PRIDE AND GLORY
Nations keep art because it is good for the
economy and for business. The presence of major
archaeological, religious, or architectural sites
stimulates the entire economy, attracts tourists, and
generates thousands of local jobs.
2. MUSEUMS AND PRIVATE
COLLECTIONS
Museums are the repositories of much of the art in most
countries and make them available for public viewing through
either permanent or temporary exhibitions.
Private collections are older than museums. Since the
earliest, rulers, nobles, and priests have collected art and
kept it in palaces or temples for aesthetic pleasure, personal,
or ritual use, or display of power.
3. PRESERVATION AND
RESTORATION
Because art is valuable, enormous human effort
and financial resources are devoted to preserving art
from that ravages of time, the environment, industrial-
by-products, and even any other human being.
ARTWORK ANALYSIS
Assessment

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 THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY

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