"Subjects."
depicts people or objects exactly as they appear in life
The Mona Lisa is considered representational art because it depicts a recognizable subject—in this case, a woman—using realistic techniques that convey depth, form, and emotion. Leonardo da Vinci employed chiaroscuro and sfumato to create lifelike features and a sense of three-dimensionality. This painting captures not only the physical appearance of the sitter but also an enigmatic expression that invites viewer interpretation, making it a quintessential example of representational art.
It would be art that isn't a picture of a thing or a scene, with identifiable objects in it. so Jackson Pollock's action paintings - lots of dribbles of paints - would be non-representational. Whereas landscape paintings or portraits, for example, would be representational
Every artwork before 1900 depicted something = representational. And most works after 1900.But some modern works depict nothing = not representational.So pick any art by the old masters!
It means it has no recognizable subject.
Representational art depicts recognizable subjects from the real world, such as people, landscapes, or objects, aiming to represent them in a way that viewers can identify. In contrast, nonrepresentational art (or abstract art) does not attempt to represent specific objects or scenes, focusing instead on elements like colors, shapes, and forms to evoke emotions or concepts without a direct visual reference. The key difference lies in the presence or absence of recognizable imagery.
representational art
Nonrepresentational art is also called non-figurative or abstract. It means a picture which does not depict anything, only shape and color. Click link for some examples! Representational (figurative) art depicts something (person, thing, landscape, etc).
When a work of art shows no reference to the natural world of images, it is called non-representational or abstract art. This type of art focuses on elements such as color, shape, and form rather than depicting objects or scenes from reality. Non-representational art emphasizes the artist's expression and emotional response rather than a direct representation of the external world.
depicts people or objects exactly as they appear in life
Representational art consists of pictures that depict some recognizable thing or scene. It includes portraits, still lifes, and landscapes. It is includes both realist art, which attempts to reproduce the actual appearance of the things depicted, or an idealization thereof, and expressionist art, which depicts recognizable things, but in a way that incorporates an emotional reaction to them, without attempting literal reproduction of their appearance. Leonardo's "Mona Lisa" and Munch's "The Scream" are both representational, the one realistic, the other expressionistic. Representational art contrasts with abstract art.
The Mona Lisa is considered representational art because it depicts a recognizable subject—in this case, a woman—using realistic techniques that convey depth, form, and emotion. Leonardo da Vinci employed chiaroscuro and sfumato to create lifelike features and a sense of three-dimensionality. This painting captures not only the physical appearance of the sitter but also an enigmatic expression that invites viewer interpretation, making it a quintessential example of representational art.
representational art
It would be art that isn't a picture of a thing or a scene, with identifiable objects in it. so Jackson Pollock's action paintings - lots of dribbles of paints - would be non-representational. Whereas landscape paintings or portraits, for example, would be representational
imitationalism
Every artwork before 1900 depicted something = representational. And most works after 1900.But some modern works depict nothing = not representational.So pick any art by the old masters!
It means it has no recognizable subject.