MODULE II IN

ART APPRECIATION 101

JEAHR E. INABANGAN, PhD (CAR)
Instructor

UNIT II. Subject and Content of Art

Overview
The chapter deals with the subject of art, which is dynamic and powerful as man's
way of life, culture and creativity. The subject and the content of art will never come to
an end and will never be completely worn out and exhausted. The clarity and simplicity
of the subject matter are 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.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the unit, I am able to:
1. classify works of arts according to their subject;
2. analyze how artist present their subjects in relation to real subjects;
3. differentiate content from the subject;
4. Characterize sources and kinds of subjects.
Setting Up
Motive Activity

Name: _____________________________________ Score: ______________

Course/Year/Section: ____________________ Date: _______________
Direction: Complete the sentence below. Choose an artwork that you think best
represents yourself. Then answer the following questions concisely.
“If I was an artwork, I would be ____________________________________________”
1. Identify the subject of the work
2. How is/are the subject of the artwork represented?
3. What do you think is the meaning of the subject in the artwork?
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Lesson Proper
SUBJECT OF ART
The term subject in art refers to the main idea that is represented in the
artwork. The subject in art is basically the essence of the piece.

✓ It is the matter to be described or to be portrayed by the artist.

✓ This may refer to any person, object, scene or event.

Two Kinds of Arts as to Subject
Representational/ Objective Art Non-Representational/Non-Objective Art
Depicts objects that are commonly Without any reference or recognizable
recognized by most people objects
Attempt to copy what is real or portray Abstract; does not represent real objects
the subject as it is.
Uses “form” and are concerned with Uses “content” and is concerned with “how”
“what” is to be depicted the artwork is depicted
The Artist and His Choice of Subject
1. Everything under the sun is raw material for the artist to draw his subject.
2. The artist’s choice of subject is usually affected by his medium.
3. The piece of art depends largely upon the time in which he lived.
Sources of Subject of Art
1. Sacred Oriental Text - Sacred texts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism,
Zoroastrianism, Jainism, and Islam
2. Nature - Most common inspiration and subject. E.g. animals, people, activities,
landscape
3. History - Historical people, events, periods
4. Greek and Roman Mythology - Myths or Definite parts of inheritance
5. Religion - anything that represents spiritual beliefs and doctrines

Subject of Art may be:

1. Landscape, seascapes, cityscapes
2. Still life – inanimate objects arranged in indoor setting
3. Animals
4. Portraits – the realistic likeness of a person.
• Attire, accessories are very much expressive because
they reveal so much of the person and his time
5. Figures – nude/ clothed
• Greeks – physical beauty was the symbol of moral
and spiritual perfection
6. Everyday Life – life around the artist, or the actual setting.
E.g. children playing, life at the park
7. History and Legends
• History – consist of verifiable facts
• Legends – unverifiable but they have been accepted as true
8. Religion and Mythology – use to preach and teach
• Art – handmaid of religion
9. Dreams and Fantasy – mostly used by surrealist painters
Ways of Presenting the Subject
1. Realism This often refers to the artistic movement that began in France in the 1850s.
Realism's popularity increased with the advent of the photography-a new visual medium
that generated people's desire to develop "objectively real" things.
2. Abstraction Its etymology derives from the Latin "abstractus" put forward, "or
from the Latin past participle" abstrahere: "from ab(s)-" down "+ trahere" take, "meaning"
removed or isolated from material objects or practical matters. Through abstract art, the
artist presents the subject in no way as an objective fact, but just his idea or his feeling
(exaggerated emotionalism) about it. It's all about what the artists are thinking and what
mood they may want to reflect. All types of visual art, no real-life pictures, scenery or
objects.
Abstract subjects can also be presented in many ways like:
a. Distortion – this is the process when the figures have been so arranged that
proportions differ noticeably from natural measurement. This is clearly manifested when
the subject is in misshapen condition, or the regular shape is twisted out. This is done to
dramatize the shape of a figure or to create a dramatic effect/ emotional effect
b. Elongation – refers to that which is being lengthened, a protraction or an extension
c. Mangling – this may not be a commonly used way of presenting an abstract subject,
but there are a few artists who show subject or objects which are cut, lacerated, mutilated
or hacked with repeated blows
d. Cubism - it stresses abstract form through the use of a cone, cylinder or sphere at the
expense of other pictorial elements. The Cubists want to show forms in their basic
geometrical shapes
3. Symbolism
A symbol is a clear indication that anything like an idea or a standard is invisible.
Symbolism uses symbols to systematically focus or amplify meaning, rendering the
artwork more subjective (rather than objective) and traditional. For instance, a flag is a
country symbol and it represents the essence of nationalism; a lion representing bravery,
and a lamb representing meekness.
4. Fauvism
 It is derived from the French "les fauves," which means "the wild beasts." It is the
last part of the 19th-century artistic movement that stressed spontaneity and the use of
excessively bright colors. For example, to a fauvist a tree trunk doesn't need to be gray.
It may be bright red, purple or any other color.
5. Dadaism
The word "dada" is a French word which means “hobby-horse”. A hobby-horse is
the children's pet toy made of a wooden horse mounted on a stick. We may claim it with
this etymology Dadaism is a "nonsensical" art movement. Some would say it is not art
since it appears to have absolutely no sense.
6. Futurism
Futurism was described as a modernist movement embracing the future age of
technology. The automobile, the aircraft The industrial town reflected the development
of urban life and the technological success of man beyond nature.
7. Surrealism
It is an offshoot or a dada boy. Sometimes known as "super" realism, "which
revolves around the process of making things look ordinary exceptional. It focuses on
actual objects found in imagination or fantasy, or it has realistic subjects found in the sub
consciousness; illustrating the inner mind's dreamlike images.
8. Impressionism
It's also often called optical realism because of its interest in the actual visual
experience, including things such as the influence of color, light and motion on the nature
of the objects portrayed in the works of art. Impressionism centered on explaining the
visual stimuli originating from nature, directly.
THE CONTENT OF ART
• It is the meaning, message and/or feeling imparted by a work of art.
• It is the mass of ideas associated with each artwork and communicated through the
following:
a. The Arts’ imagery
b. The symbolic meaning
c. Its surroundings where it is used or displayed
d. The customs, beliefs and values of the culture that uses it
e. Writings that help explain the work
Three levels of meaning according to Cleaver (1966):
1. A Factual Meaning- literal statement or the narrative content In the work which can be
directly understood because the objects presented are easily recognized.
2. Conventional Meaning- special meaning that a certain object or color has for a
particular culture or a group of people.
3. Subjective Meaning- any personal meaning consciously or unconsciously conveyed
by the artist using private symbolism which stems from his own associations of certain
objects, actions, or colors from past experiences.
Assessing Learning
Activity 6
Name: __________________ Score: ______________
Course/Year/Section: ____________ Date: _______________
Direction: Examine carefully the famous artwork of Anita Magsaysay-Ho. List down at
least five (5) interpretation or ideas you can make.
The Philippines 1914)
Six senses (Pictures)

1. _____________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________
Activity 7
Name: __________________ Score: ______________
Course/Year/Section: ____________ Date: _______________
Direction: Identify the subject of each famous Philippine artwork. Explain the possible
meaning/s according to your own interpretation.
Palay Maiden, Fernando Amorsolo,1920) (Picture)
(Crisis in Humanity, Benedicto Cabrera,2017) (Picture)
(Duterte in the Center of Triangle, Elito “Amang Pintor” Circa,1920) (Picture)
Activity 8
Name: __________________ Score: ______________
Course/Year/Section: ____________ Date: _______________
Roam around your house or in your backyard. Look for a pot or a shallow dish or
bowl. Then create a dish garden by using small plants or succulents. Then after making
it, take a picture of it and submit it to the email or messenger of your instructor. The
criteria for this activity is as follows:
Creativity 50%
Presentation 30%
Over-all presentation 20%
Total 100%
Activity 9
Name: __________________ Score: ______________
Course/Year/Section: ____________ Date: _______________
Direction: On two separate sheet of bond paper/vellum board, paint something that
exhibits representational art and non-representational art. Write the title and caption of
each of your paintings below. Your output will be graded using the holistic rubric below.
Cleanliness/Neatness 10%
Originality 20%
Content 30%
Creativity 40%
Total 100%
Activity 10
Name: __________________ Score: ______________
Course/Year/Section: ____________ Date: _______________
True or False: Read each item carefully. Write the Subject if the statement is true and
write Content if the statement is false.
__________ 1. Non – representational arts are artworks that depict objects that are
recognized by people.
__________ 2. Subjective meaning is personal meaning that is conveyed by the
artists.
__________ 3. Factual meaning is the literal statement that is easily recognized when
presented.
__________ 4. Surrealism is also called optical realism.
__________ 5. Impressionism is an art that depicts real objects.
__________ 6. Fauvism art depicts the future technology.
__________ 7. Symbolism is an art that has a clear indication that anything like an
idea or a standard is invisible.
__________ 8. Dadaism is also considered as a nonsensical art.
__________ 9. Abstraction is an art that shows the artist’s ideas or feelings.
__________ 10. Technology is one of the sources of the subject of art.