Representational art depicts objects, scenes, and figures from the visible world in a realistic style. The earliest examples include Paleolithic figurines from over 25,000 years ago. Representational art involves some degree of abstraction by omitting details like dimensionality found in the real world. Key qualities include the representation of reality and varying levels of abstraction. Common styles are realism, impressionism, idealism, and stylization, each with different approaches to realistic or idealized depiction. Representational art is contrasted with nonrepresentational art, which does not depict visible subjects.

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Philosophies
of Art
ART AS
REPRESENTATION
GROUP 2

4. WHAT IS REPRESENTATIONAL
ART?
 “Representational” means depicting or attempting to depict
objects, scenes, figures, etc, directly as seen; naturalistic.
 “ART” the expression or application of human creative skill
and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or
sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for
their beauty or emotional power.
 'The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of
things, but their inward significance', Aristotle wrote. The
theory of art as an imitation of beauty or nature was
persistent throughout the history of art.

5. ORIGIN/HISTORY OF
REPRESENTATIONAL ART
Representational art got its start many
millennia ago with Late Paleolithic
figurines and carvings. Venus of
Willendorf, while not too terribly realistic,
is clearly meant to show the figure of a
woman. She was created around 25,000
years ago and is an excellent example of
the earliest representational art.

6. ORIGIN/HISTORY OF
REPRESENTATIONAL ART
The Venus of Willendorf is an 11.1-centimetre-tall
(4.4 in) Venus figurine estimated to have been made around
25,000-30,000 years ago. It was found on August 7, 1908, by
a workman named Johann Veran or Josef Veram during
excavations conducted by archaeologists Josef
Szombathy, Hugo Obermaier, and Josef Bayer at
a Paleolithic site near Willendorf, a village in Lower
Austria. It is carved from an oolitic limestone that is not
local to the area, and tinted with red ochre. The figurine is
now in the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria

7. MORE EXAMPLES OF
REPRESENTATIONAL ARTS:

10. ART AS REPRESENTATION
 Representation always involves a certain degree of
abstraction that is, the taking away of one characteristic or
more of the original.
 Even a fairly realistic painting of a person, for example,
lacks some features that characterize actual persons: a
painting is two-dimensional, whereas every actual person is
three-dimensional; the surface of a painting is paint, but not
so the person; actual persons have very numerous pores
and other marks on their faces that are lacking (in whole or
in part) in a painting, and so on.

11. Qualities of Representational Art
Representation art encompasses a broad range of
interpretations and is not limited to just one meaning. The
qualities of representational art include:
• The representation of any event or object from reality.
• The use of varying levels of abstraction, from almost no
abstraction to complete abstraction.
• The correlation to perception, as it depicts one's
understanding and perception of the subject.

12. Types of Representational Art
1.Realism
-is an accurate, detailed, and overall honest depiction of a
subject usually found in nature or ordinary life. This type of
representational art is often used to portray a realistic
portrait of someone notable (like nobility) or a historical
event, but it doesn't have to be. The subject can vary as long
as it is depicted realistically. After the French Revolution,
many artists began to depict realistic paintings of rural life
and figures. By representing the working class and the French
countryside, artists were able to portray their appreciation of
everyday people.

14. 2. Impressionism
-is an accurate depiction of one's visual impression, usually of light and
movement. This movement became popular in the 19th century and is known for its
noticeably thin brushstrokes and angles that depict ordinary subjects, for instance,
a pond. The introduction of this movement is notable because it changed the scope
of how people portray realistic subjects.

15. 3. Idealism
-represents an aesthetic idealized version of a subject. It is similar to realism but
differs in that it attempts to portray beauty and perfection. Idealism was prevalent in
ancient art as a way to pay homage to someone worthy of honor. When the neoclassic
period emerged in Europe in the 18th century, these classic ideals reappeared,
especially in art. Idealistic art is a reflection of what the artist, commissioner, or even
society, finds beautiful and pleasing when it is made. In ancient Greece, this meant
using perfect proportions and detailed muscles. Male subjects often appeared nude to
highlight their power, while women covered their bodies to preserve modesty. During
the neoclassic period, European artists often gave their subjects flawless, fair skin
and simplicity to create their idealized figure.

17. 4. Stylization
-uses simplified, decorative representations of subjects. For
example, in stylized representation art, the star shape can be
used to depict real stars. This uses a general portrayal rather
than a realistic portrayal. Stylized art can be found in the
earliest examples of painting. For example, many cave
paintings use lines or basic shapes to create men, as well as
entire scenes. Stylization allows for the simplest of forms to
depict a subject.

19. Representational Art vs.
Nonrepresentational Art
-Representational art depicts anything from the real world. It
can have a subject of landscapes, animals, fruit, figures, a
historical event, and countless others. The opposite of this is
nonrepresentational art, which depicts anything, not from the
real world. It can depict shapes, colors, or even non-tangible
feelings. Nonrepresentational art is very similar to abstract
art. Abstract art breaks art into basic aesthetic elements like
lines, shapes, and colors in order to represent the basic
elements that allow us to perceive and appreciate reality.
However, abstract art depicts something real in an abstract
way, while nonrepresentational art doesn't depict a subject at
all.

20. ART AS
REPRESENTATION
GROUP 2 MEMBERS:
 LESTER JOHN DAET
 RYU CASPER DASILIO
 MARYGALE CRUZ
 DENNIESE CACCAM
 LOVELY BUEZA
 KATHLEEN CERON
 BEA MAE BONAAGUA
 LEAH MAE BERCES