looking at art subject: what is represented in a work of art

Looking at Art

What is represented in a work of art. What a work of art is about.

Subject:

Subject Categories• Landscape (cityscape, seascape…)• Portrait• Still life• Narrative/Genre• Fantasy • Abstraction• Non-objective

Landscape   A painting or drawing in which natural land scenery, such as mountains, trees, rivers or lakes, is the main feature.

PortraitAn image of a person, especially the face and upper body.

A painting or drawing of inanimate (non-moving) objects.

Still life

NarrativeWorks of art that seem to tell a story. They can be historical.

GenreThese works also have a narrative quality. Genre is defined as a realistic style of painting that depicts scenes from everyday life.

FantasyArt that depicts images or objects in unreal or unexpected situations or settings.

Abstraction

Art that simplifies objects or ideas to their most basic elements in order to emphasize the elements at the subject matter.

Non-objective

Art that is not representational, containing no recognizable figures or objects

The surface of a painting or drawing. The 3 areas of the picture plane are the foreground, middleground and background.

Picture plane