MODULE 3

Subject of art is what an artist chooses to present

in his/her art. It is the expression of artist’s view
of his/her existence in his/her art.
It is the theme or topic of the artist in his/her art. 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,
ask yourself:
What is actually depicted in this artwork? What is the
artist trying to express to the world... what is his or her
message? And how are they conveying that message?
Number 1A (1948) by: Jackson Pollock
 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

Artists have always been fascinated with the

beauty of their physical environment. They
would observe nature on its beautiful and
restful mood; and apply pigments on
canvass on varying textures and colors.
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GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY

The Greek and Roman mythology

are also rich of art subject. Stories
from Greek and Roman mythology
centers on the gods, goddesses and
heroes.
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 RELIGION
Religion has played an enormous role in
inspiring works of visual arts, music,
architecture and literature through ages.
During the prehistoric era, the medieval
and the present time, there was no
difference between religion and art.
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 NATURE

• ANIMALS

• PEOPLE

• LANDSCAPES
- The most common inspiration and subject matter for art.
-Could be the subject and content of both literary and visual arts

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 Filipino contemporary artists are now
conscious of their indigenous roots

 Filipino artists are veering away from

the influences of colonizers.

 Filipino artists are conscious that they

are no longer subject to western
concepts and ideas and forms
That we may be done Kawangis ko sila
 Prevalent themes in the c0ontemporary
art scene are responses to:
- Social
- Economic and
- Political Issues
- Ethnic and Indigenous Concerns
- Current Events
5 main subjects that
artists have been
exploring in art for
centuries:
Still life- a collection
of inanimate objects
arranged together in a
specific way.
Still Life
Landscape - natural
scenery such as
mountains, cliffs,
rivers, etc.
Landscape
Portraiture - an image
of a particular person
or animal,
or group
thereof.
 Portraiture

Artist: Gustave Courbet | Year (completed): 1845

 Abstract- moves away
from showing things as
they really are. The
artwork is not realistic..
Abstract
 Nature- a focused
view or interpretation
of specific natural
elements.
Nature
- Some subjects in the Visual Arts that
continue to be favored are still:
1. Life
2. Landscapes
3. Genre scenes
4. Portraits
5. Philippine fiestas and landmarks
Creation of Adam (from the ceiling of
the Sistine Chapel)
Michaelangelo (1814)
WAYS OF PRESENTING
THE SUBJECT
a. Realism
b. Abstraction
c. Expressionism
d. Futurism
e. Surrealism
f. Fauvism
g. Dadaism
h. symbolism
 REALISM
• It concerns with the depiction of
subjects as they appear in everyday life .
• It is the attempt to portray the subject as
is. The artist selects, changes, and
arranges details to express the idea he
wants to make clear.
• The artist main function is to describe
accurately what is observed through the
senses.
 Jean-Baptiste-Siméon
Chardin was an 18th-
century French realist. He
is considered a master of
still life.

Self-portrait
 Woman cleaning
turnips by Jean-
Baptiste-Siméon
Chardin
Ilya Yefimovich Repin was
a leading Russian painter
and sculptor of the
Peredvizhniki artistic school.
His realistic works often
expressed great
psychological depth and
exposed the tensions within
the existing social order.
 They did not
Expect Him by
Ilya
Yefimovich
Repin
Ivan the terrible and his son Ivan Tretyakov Gallery (1885)
 ABSTRACTION
• It refers to art unconcerned with the literal
depiction of things from the visible world

• It means to move away or separate. Abstract

art moves away from showing things as they
really are. The artwork is not realistic.
 Wassily Wassilyevich
Kandinsky was a Russian
painter, and art theorist. He
is credited with painting of
the first purely abstract
works.
Composition VII by Wassily
Wassilyevich Kandinsky
WAYS OF PRESENTING
THE SUBJECT
ABSTRACTION
a. Distortion
b. Elongation
c. Mangling
d. Cubism
e. Abstract Expressionism
 DISTORTION

• It is the ALTERATION OF THE

ORIGINAL SHAPE of an object,
image or other form of representation
• The subject is in misshaped condition
Distortion Painting by
Laurtent Chipdi
 ELONGATION

• the subject or painting is being

LENGTHENED or extended
• The subject is lengthened for
protraction or extension.
 MANGLING
It shows subjects or objects which are
cut, mutilated, lacerated or hacked.
 CUBISM
•objects are broken up, analyzed, and re-
assembled in an abstracted form
•Subjects are shown in basic geometrical
shapes.
•uses cone, cylinder, sphere or other pictorial
elements
Three Muscians by: Pablo Picasso
 ABSTRACT
EXPRESSIONISM

•uses large canvasses

•lack of refinement in the
application of paint, strong
color uneven brush and rough
texture
 Untitled
By: Jackson Pollock
 EXPRESSIONISM

It presents the world solely from a

subjective perspective, distorting it
radically for emotional effect in
order to evoke moods or ideas
 Edvard Munch was a
Norwegian Symbolist
painter, printmaker and an
important forerunner of
expressionist art.
The Scream by Edvard
Munch
 Egon Schiele was an
Austrian painter. The twisted
body shapes and the
expressive line that
characterize Schiele's
paintings and drawings mark
the artist as an early
exponent of Expressionism.
Self-portrait
 Tod und Mädchen
(Death and the Maiden)
by Egon Schiele
 FUTURISM
• It emphasizes and glorifies themes associated
with contemporary concepts of the future,
including speed and technology
• Its’ works aims to capture the speed and
force of modern industrial society and to
glorify the mechanical energy of modern life.
 Umberto Boccioni was an
Italian painter and sculptor.
Like other Futurists, his
work centered on the
portrayal of movement
(dynamism), speed, and
technology.

Self-portrait
 Unique Forms
of Continuity in
Space by
Umberto
Boccioni
 SURREALISM
• It tries to reveal a new and higher reality than
that of daily life. They claim to create a magical
world more beautiful than the real one through
art. It came from the slang of super realism.
•It uses arts a weapon against the evils and
restrictions that surrealists see in the society
• It is a combination of distortion and realism
 Max Ernst was a
German painter,
sculptor, graphic
artist, and poet. A
prolific artist, Ernst
is considered to be
one of the primary
pioneers of the
Dada movement
and Surrealism.
 L'Ange du Foyer
(The Fireside Angel)
by Max Ernst
 Salvador Dalí
was a prominent
Spanish Catalan
surrealist painter
born in Figueres.
 The
Persistence
of Memory
(1931)
by Salvador
Dalí
 FAUVISM

• Themes are either ethical, philosophical or

psychological.
•It uses extremely bright color
•Most of the fauves tried to paint pictures of
COMFORT, JOY AND PLEASURE
 DADAISM
• A protest movement formed in 1916 by a
group of artist in Zurich, Switzerland. They
try to provoke the public with outrageous
forms of arts. Came from the French word
“dada” meaning “hobby horse”. Dadaist
reacted to what they believe were outworn
traditions in art and the evils they saw in
the society; shows outrageous pieces of
writing, poetry and art exhibitions
On April 9th, 1917, just over 100
years ago, Marcel Duchamp
achieved what was perhaps the most
brilliant and absurd art event of the
20th century.

The story is legend. Duchamp,

wanting to submit an artwork to the
“unjuried” Society of Independent
Artists’ salon in New York—which
claimed that they would accept any
work of art, so long as the artist paid
the application fee—presented an
upside-down urinal signed and dated
with the appellation “R. Mutt, 1917,”
and titled Fountain.
 Symbolism

The presentation of an
invisible sign such as an idea
or a quality into something
visible.
 “The Death of the Gravedigger”
(1895-1900)
By: Carlos Schwabe

In "The Death of a Gravedigger," an old

gravedigger is inside the grave he's
dug, looking up at a beautiful dark
angel who is holding a green light and
his heart. The symbolism is not lost in
the audience. The angel is the angel of
death and she's holding the
gravedigger's heart and soul. His time
has come.