The Components of Art

Subject, Style, Content, Form, Media and Technique

The duty of an artist is to strain against the bonds of the existing style. – Philip
Johnson

Subject Matter
The main theme of a work of art.
The person, place, thing, or abstract idea selected by the artist.

Awareness of style, form, and content helps the viewer understand and appreciate
the visual arts more fully.
1. ICONOGRAPHY - the study of subject matter and symbolism. Awareness of
symbolism can enrich the viewing experience.

2. STYLE - The characteristic manner of executing the visual elements used by

an artist. The distinctive handling of the elements and media associated with
the work of an individual artist, a school or movement, or specific culture or
time period.

ART, CULTURE and CONTEXT

Context – has a profound influence on style
The work of an Artist is a product of their culture and time. There are many Style
in art. They change often, and yet there are some standards.

Historical context - is the record of events that affected the artist and the
development of his/her work.
political, social, economic, scientific, technological, and intellectual background
Ex.; Fall of Rome, Coming of Christianity, Barbarians Invasions, Industrial
Revolution, WW II, 9/11

Variations in style are sometimes linked to cultural contexts.

1. Period style is the general characteristics common to much of the work from
given period of time or cultural phase.

Running Horse , Cave Painting, Lascaux, France Period Style

2. Regional style is the manner of expression common in the work of artists
working in the same country or area.

Christ as the Good Shepherd , Byzantine Mosaic, Claude Monet, Impression Sunset , Impressionism,
Mausoleum of Gala Placidia, Ravenna, Italy Regional Style oil on canvas Regional Style

3. Individual style is the manner of expression used by a particular artist.

VAN GOGH . Starry Night (c. 1890 ) oil on canvas Individual Style

Provenance is the source and history of a work of art.

Artists biographical information
When and where was it made?
How was it made?
Where was it exhibited?
Who bought it?
For how much?
Where is it now?
Content - is the meaning of a work of art.
The content of a work of art not only refers its subject matter and its underlining
meanings or themes.
The Levels of Content in a Work of Art

Three levels of content:

1. Subject Matter
2. Elements and composition
3. Underlying or symbolic meanings or themes

Amorous Couple (Mayan, Late Classic, 700–900 CE). Polychromed ceramic. H: 9 3⁄4 ” .

CONSTANTINE BRANCUSI . The Kiss ( c. 19 12 ). limestone .

OSCAR KOKOSCHKA . The Tempest ( c. 19 14 ). Oil on canvas

 GRANT WOOD. American Gothic (1930). Oil on beaverboard. 29 7⁄8 ” x 24 7⁄8 ” .

BARBARA HEPWORTH (1903–1975). Two Figures (Menhirs) (1954–1955). Teak. H: 54 ” .

ROY LICHTENSTEIN. Forget It, Forget Me! (1962). Magna and oil on canvas. 79 7⁄8 ” x 68 ” .

`DONNA ROSENTHAL. He Said… She Said;”let’s get physical”-”Do you think

Realistic Art

Realism is the portrayal of people and things as they are seen by the eye or
as they are thought to be without idealization, without distortion.

Realism , also, defines a specific school of art that developed during the mid-
nineteenth century in France.

ROMAN ART. Cato the Elder, (c.500 BC)

REALISM Represents reality Records an artist’s own experiences. Gustave Courbet Burial at Ornans,
oil on canvas

Photography WALTER LUBKEN. The Hancock Homestead, (c.1910)

We think of photography as the most realistic. The technique of shooting, capturing,
and documenting suggests candid truth and reality.

Realistic vs Representational Art

Representational art presents natural forms in a recognizable manner, although

not always in realistic way.
Naturalistic
Realistic
Stylistic
Expressionistic

Representational GOYA Third of May, 1808 Romanticism oil on canvas

Expressionistic Art In expressionistic art, form and color are freely distorted by the
artist in order to achieve a heightened emotional impact.

Expressionistic is, also, a modern art movement.

`OSCAR KOKOSCHKA . The Tempest ( c. 19 14 ). Oil on canvas

Abstraction

Abstract - art that departs significantly from the actual appearance of things;
modification
Cubism - transcribed natural forms into largely angular geometric equivalents.
Simplification
Distortion

Abstraction by PABLO PICASSO, Les Demoiselles D’Avignon (c. 1906) oil on canvas

“ Copy nature and you infringe on the work of our lord. Interpret nature and you are
an artist. “ - JACQUE LIPCHITZ

Nonobjective - art that makes no reference to nature or reality.

Psychic Automation - when an artist attempts to clear their mind of purpose
and concerns so that inner conflicts and ideas find expression through their
works.
Abstract Expressionism - Action Painting; a record of the action of painting

Nonobjective - Psychic Automation JACKSON POLLOCK, Lavender Mist (c. 1950) Abstract Expressionism
 JUDY PFAFF. Voodoo (1981). Contact paper collage on Mylar. 98 ” x 60 ” (framed).

Content is the meaning of a work of art. The content of a work of art not only refers
its subject matter and its underlining meanings or themes.

The Levels of Content in a Work of Art

Three levels of content:

1. Subject Matter
2. Elements and composition
3. Underlying or symbolic meanings or themes

Looking at Art Jan Van Eyck, Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, 1434 oil paint

JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID. Death of Marat (1793). Oil on canvas. 63 3⁄4 ” x 49 1⁄8 ” . SANDOW BIRK.
Death of Manuel (1992). Oil on canvas. 33 ” x 25 ” .
FORM

The form of a work refers to its totality as a work of art. The organization of
the elements including the design principles and composition of a work of art.

Formalistic criticism

is an approach that concentrates on the formal concepts such as the

elements and principles, but not content, historical context or the biography of
the artist.

Activity Create your master Pieces

Kindly create an Arts in 1/8 illustration board (1 Visual and 1 applied Art)
applying the components of art discussed in this module.