A work of art is about something. In other words it has a theme. Sometimes it is easy to find the theme and other times the theme may not be so clear. Works of art that hold our interest usually operate on many levels. THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or science

Jacques Louis David, Death of Socrates, 1787 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences

Jacques Louis David, Death of Socrates, 1787 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences That the Greek ideals of democracy and “truth” should be the guiding principles of man (and in this case the French Republic).

Jacques Louis David, Death of Socrates, 1787 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences The story of the Death of Socrates

Jacques Louis David, Death of Socrates, 1787 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences David clearly finds these ideals noble and opposes the tyranny of King Louis’ regime

Jacques Louis David, Death of Socrates, 1787 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences David revives the style of Classical Rome (he had studied there). His style is called “Neo-Classical”

Jacques Louis David, Death of Socrates, 1787 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences Reference is made to the story of Socrates’ death in ancient Greece

Piet Mondrian, Composition in White, Red, Yellow and Blue, 1918 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences

Piet Mondrian, Composition in White, Red, Yellow and Blue, 1918 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences That a spiritual harmony and order can be represented in art through purely abstract means

Piet Mondrian, Composition in White, Red, Yellow and Blue, 1918 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences Squares and lines using only primary colors and black and white

Piet Mondrian, Composition in White, Red, Yellow and Blue, 1918 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences That abstraction could lead to a higher understanding of spirituality

Piet Mondrian, Composition in White, Red, Yellow and Blue, 1918 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences He was influenced by his friend Bart van der Leck who used only primary colors and the innovative art being done in Paris, especially Picasso and Braque’s cubism

Piet Mondrian, Composition in White, Red, Yellow and Blue, 1918 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences He was influenced by the Theosophical idea that one could gain a deeper spiritual knowledge beyond nature

Chris Burden, Transfixed, 1974 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences

Chris Burden, Transfixed, 1974 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences That by using his own body in the artwork there is a more authentic relationship between art and life.

Chris Burden, Transfixed, 1974 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences A man crucified to a Volkswagen car

Chris Burden, Transfixed, 1974 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences Our faith in symbols needs to be questioned

Chris Burden, Transfixed, 1974 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences Contemporary machinery – the car

Chris Burden, Transfixed, 1974 THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences The Crucifixion is a recurring subject matter in both art and Christian religious texts. It also was a Roman punishment for those seen as criminals

Claude Monet, Rouen Cathedral (two of the more than 30 paintings Monet did of this cathedral) Click on the link below to listen to a short discussion about these paintings. Then return here and comment on the Theme of these paintings addressing each criteria on the left of the slide. THE BIG IDEA – what we can grasp about the human condition Subject Matter – what the work is about ??? Artist’s Point of View Visual Sources References to other areas: art history, other art forms, other humanities or sciences