SOURCES AND

KINDS OF SUBJECT

GROUP 2
The subject in art is the essence of the piece. It
may be what is depicted in the work of art or
what the artist may be trying to convey to the
world.
Everything in the environment can be a source
of a subject – what the artist sees, feel, and
hear can be used as one's source of subject. In
general, the kinds and sources of a subject can
be categorized into seven:
1. Still life is groups of inanimate
objects arranged in an indoor setting such
as flower and fruit arrangements, food,
pots and pans, and music instruments.
According to MacArdle (2020), the themes
for “still life” can range from personal,
cultural, religious, philosophical, or
existential. Historically, still life paintings
were deeply imbued with religious and
mythological meaning. But on more recent
practices on still life, the themes can be
based on material qualities such as color,
shape, and texture.
2. Landscapes, Cityscapes, and Seascapes
are artworks whose primary focus is the
natural scenery such as the mountains,
valleys, rivers, and skyscrapers.

3. Animals have been represented by

artists from almost every age and place.
It can also be said that the earliest known
paintings are representations of animals
on the walls and caves.
4. A portrait is a
realistic likeness of a
person whether in
sculpture, painting,
drawing, or print. It
need not be
photographic in
likeness but is a
selective process of
highlighting and de-
emphasizing certain
features.
5. Everyday Life
refers to the artist’s
observation of people
going about their
usual ways and
performing their usual
tasks and recording
them in paintings.
6. History paintings are those with a
high-minded or heroic narrative as
illustrated by exemplary deeds of its
figures. History painting was originally
dominated by religious paintings but the
category, in time, expanded to include
themes from mythology, literature, or
history. Thus history paintings are further
categorized as religious history paintings,
mythological history paintings, allegorical
history paintings, literary history
paintings, and historical history paintings
7. Figurative art
features the human
figure. The form of the
body- its structure
and flexibility, nude or
clothed – is the chief
subject of artists
aiming for figurative
art. Artists try to
capture the grace and
ideal proportions in
paintings or
sculptures.
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