ART APPRECIATION Module 2: Subject and Content of Art
I. Preliminaries
Module Title: Subject and Content of Art
Course Number: GE 103
Course Description: This is a study of the nature, function and appreciation of the arts in
contemporary society. This is designed to develop students’ appreciation of art including
observation, articulation, and critical thinking skills through visual arts. This course is designed
to fulfil requirements in the basic study of visual arts, which is to provide student opportunities
to develop understanding of human creativity, arts, values, and reasoning. Slide lectures,
related readings in the text, films, and museum visits will focus upon visual thinking strategy
as a communicative tool.
Total Learning Time: 6 hrs.
I. Overview:
The Chapter covers the subject of art, which is as dynamic and forceful as man’s way of life,
culture, and imagination. The subject and content of art never comes to an end and is never
fully worn out and exhausted. The clearness and simplicity of the subject is vital since the
content of the artwork is the soul of every artistic creation or masterpiece. The subject
presented discloses the passion, sincerity, and conviction of every artist and serves as an
extension of his emotions, ideas, or beliefs.
II. Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the unit the students should be able to:
1. Classify artworks according to subject;
2 Analyze how artists present their subjects in relation to the real subject;
3. Differentiate content from subject; and
4 Characterize sources and kinds of subjects.
III. Indicative Content:
This module will provide you with the following contents:
1. Subject of art.
2. The Content of Art
3. Keeping the Art
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ART APPRECIATION Module 2: Subject and Content of Art
THE SUBJECT OF ART
The Primary stage of engaging with art is its perception. When someone looks at an artwork
for the first time, they perceive something in it, the initial question that they usually ask is “What is
it?” or “What does it show?” Somehow, they expect to see recognizable images in apiece of art. To
majority of people, the appeal of most work of art lies in the representation of familiar objects. Their
enjoyment of painting, sculpture, and literature comes not from their perception of the “meaning “or
composition but from the satisfaction they get out of recognizing the subject or understanding the
narrative content.
The subject of art refers to any person, object, scene, or event described or represented in a
work of art. Some arts have subject, others do not. The art that have subject are called representation
or objective arts. Those that do not have subject are known as non-representation or non-objective
arts.
The subject of art is the matter to be described or to be portrayed by the artist. The subject of
art is varied. This may refer to any person, object, scene, or event. In general, the subject of an
artwork is anything under the sun. The subject could be make-believe, imaginary, and invented, like
Cerberus (a three—headed dog) or Dyesebel (a popular mermaid character made for film and
television). Subjects can also be real events, like the devastations brought about by super typhoons
entering the Philippines or catastrophic tsunamis hitting many Asian countries.
TWO KINDS OF ART" AS TO SUBJECT:
1. Representational or Objective Art
They those arts that depict (represent) objects that are commonly recognized by most people. They
attempt to copy, even if in a subjective manner, something that is real. They use “form? And are
concerned with “what” is to be depicted in the artwork. They attempt to portray the 'subject as it is.
The artists would try to be as objective as possible.
Examples:
Maria van
Ooosterwijck. vanitas
still life (1968)
Oil on canvas 73X88
cm Kunsthistorisches
Museum, Vienna
Maria van Ooosterwijck, Painter of still lifes, notably fruit and flower pieces.
a. Still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically which may be
either natural (food, commonplace objects, flowers, plants, rocks, or shells) or man-made (drinking
glasses, books, vases, jewelry, coins, pipes, and so on) in an artificial setting.
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ART APPRECIATION Module 2: Subject and Content of Art
b. Portrait is a painting, photograph, figure, or any other art forms in which the face and its
expression is predominant. The purpose may be to show the resemblance, personality, or
disposition of the individual. c. Landscapes, Seascapes, Moonscapes, Cityscapes d. Mythology and
Religion, Dreams and Fantasies
2. Nonrepresentational or Nonobjective Art
They are those arts without any reference to anything outside itself (without representation). This
kind of art is non-objective 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. The artist attempts only to show his ideas and feelings not as objective as the
realist or the representational artist. Some contemporary painters have shifted their interest to the
work of art as an object itself, an exciting combination of shapes and colors that fulfills the
aesthetic needs without having to represent images or tell a story. Many modern paintings have a
purely visual appeal, so difficult that spectators cannot appreciate them. Traditional sculptures and
painting have subjects. When looking at a painting or a sculpture. one expects to recognize the
subject to know what it is about — a man, an animal, or a tree.
SOURCES OF THE SUBJECT OF ART
[Link] - Next to animals and people and their activities, nature as landscapes has been the
common subject of the arts. It has been the most and common inspiration subject.
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.
Examples:
How Greek and
Roman mythology
inspires great
artists
3. Greek and Roman mythology- this has Been a very impotent source of subjects it: 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.
4. Religion - It has played an enormous role in inspiring works of visual arts, representations that
We see all around us music, architecture, and literature through the ages. It was during the
Renaissance that the European “artists” and conscious of their role in a way that had never been
true before.
5. Sacred oriental texts - sacred texts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism,
Zoroastrianism, Jainism, and Islam.
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ART APPRECIATION Module 2: Subject and Content of Art
THE CONTENT OF ART
The content of the art is the meaning, message, and/or feeling imparted by a work of art.
This is not the same thing as the subject matter the work depicts. Content is inextricably linked
with form, which refers to the pictorial aspects of art. It is the mass of ideas associated with each
artwork and communicated through the-following:
I. The Art’s imagery
2. The symbolic meaning
3. Its surroundings where it is used or displayed
4. The customs, beliefs, and Values of the culture that uses it
5. Writings that Help explain the work
In an artwork, the subject matter of an artwork is what the image literally depicts. For
example, the subject matter of Magritte’s painting is a pipe. The content of the work is what the
image means. This may be far more complicated than the subject matter. The content of Rene
Magritte’s painting invites us to think critically about all the representations that we see all around
us in our Daily life
Example:
Artist: Rene’ Magritte
Location: Los Angeles County Museum
of Art
Period: Surrealism
Created: 1928—1929
Medium: Oil paint
support: canvas
For someone to better understand the content of art, there are three levels of meaning. The
most common is the Factual meaning, the literal statement or narrative content in the work that can
be directly apprehended because the objects presented are easily recognized.
The second is the conventional meaning, which 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. The
flag is the agreed upon symbol for a nation, the Cross is the Christian symbol for faith, and the wheel
is the Buddhist, Symbol of the teachings of Gautama, Buddha.
The third is the subjective meaning, which 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. It becomes fully understandable if the
artist gives details of what he really means; otherwise, it would be interpreted differently by the
viewers, or it would communicate multiple meanings to its varied audience.
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ART APPRECIATION Module 2: Subject and Content of Art
KEEPING ART
A country, society, and individual may hold on to an artwork often beyond its usefulness,
which may involve various considerations, including its meaning and its economic value, Public
and private institutions, like museums and galleries, are also designed for keeping art, and issues
around preserving or restoring it.
1. National pride and Glory.
Source: ttps://[Link]/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Philippines-2015-9_feat.jpg
Nations keep art for several reasons. Consider the San Agustin Church built from 1586 -1607,
which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Juan Luna’s Spolarium displayed at the National Museum, Ermita Manila
In addition, nations keep art because it is good for the economy and for business.
The of presence major archaeological, religious, or architectural sites stimulates
the entire economy, attracts tourists, and generates thousands of local jobs.
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ART APPRECIATION Module 2: Subject and Content of Art
2. Museums and Private Collections
National Museum of Fine Arts
are often visited by Art
enthusiast and Art Appreciation
Students just to have actual view
of the artworks.
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. A museum does not sell works
of art, but it essentially holds them in public trust, and engages in varying levels of education and
conservation practices. Private collections are older than museums. Since the earliest times, rulers,
nobles, and priests have collected art and kept it in palaces or temples for aesthetic pleasure,
personal or ritual Museums use, or display of power. often reflect the cultural milieu of their
founding.
3. Preservation and Restoration
Because art is valuable, enormous human effort and financial resources are devoted to preserving
art from the ravages of time, the environment, industrial-by-products, and even any other human
being.
In July, 2019, a group
of archaeology
students from the
University of
California, Los Angeles,
dropped by the town
of Kiangan in Ifugao
province, the
Philippines, to learn
about community-led
heritage conservation.
The students expected
to see a few elders
preserving a lost art;
instead, they found a
mix of women and
men, elders and
younger weavers,
producing traditional
textiles for a thriving
industry.
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ART APPRECIATION Module 2: Subject and Content of Art
Example:
Manunggual
Jar protected
in a glass
cage
exhibited at
the National
museum
[Link]
Image of the Natural Museum History
The National Museum of Natural History: (Pambansang Museo ng Likas na Kasaysayan) is the
National Natural History Museum of the Philippines. It is located along Agrifina Circle in Rizal
park Manila
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ART APPRECIATION Module 2: Subject and Content of Art
WORK SHEET NO 2: SUBJECT AND CONTENT OF ART
Name: ___________________________________________________
Course/Year/Section: _______________________________________ Score: ________
I. Examine carefully the artwork. Write down five ideas or interpretations you can make.
II. Identify the subject of each famous artwork. Explain the possible meaning of the said as
depicted by the artist
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ART APPRECIATION Module 2: Subject and Content of Art
III. Discuss briefly why nation keep art.
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References:
Panisan,Wilson [Link]. (2018). Art Appreciation. Malabon City: Mutya Publishing House Inc.
Casib, B. Jr., Garing, D. and Casaul, J. (2018) Art Appreciation. Manila, Philippines Rex Book Store.
Image Source:
San Agustin Church. Retrieved From: [Link]
content/uploads/2016/01/Philippines-2015-9_feat.jpg. Date Retrieved: 09/29/20
Spoliarium by Juan Luna: Philippines. Retrieved form: [Link] Date
Retrieved: 09/29/20
How Greek and Roman mythology inspires great artists. Retrieved from:
[Link] Date
Retrieved:10/04/20
Maria van Ooosterwijck. vanitas still life. Retrieved from: [Link]
van-oosterwijck/vanitas-still-life/. Date Retrieved: 09/29/20
Manunggual Jar. Retrieved from: [Link] Date
Retrieved: 09/30/20
American [Link] from: [Link]
Date Retrieved:09/24/20
Son of man. Retrieved form: [Link]
Date retrieved:09/25/20
At Eternity’s Gate. Retrieved from: [Link]
man-ete. Date Retrieved:09/25/20
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