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The Rise of the New Subject Matter

In art, the concept of subjects refers to the primary idea being represented by a form of art. It is fundamentally the essence of the central theme of the art. In the wake of the Renaissance period, new forms of art started to reflect the realism of human space and form. Besides, style, there are new forms of the subject matter. Although religion formed a necessary element in everyday life, mythological subject matter played a crucial role in the creation of new genres such as landscaping, life still painting, and genre painting. The new forms of subject matter leveraged the performance of art in the 17th century since they embody the realism of human form and space in their artworks.

Still, life painting as a form of subject matter possesses cultural and religious purposes. Its artists use naturalistic figures that possess symbolic themes for devotion. For instance, in Zurbaran Still Life painting done in 1933, four lemons are standing alongside one another. They form the number three, which, according to biblical principles, represents the holy trinity. In other words, the allegory in the whole painting is representative of salvation. The portrait indicates that there are issues in the past meant for religious contemplation. In the painting, the space left between each object facilitates the contemplation. Based on Zurbaran Still Life painting, still, life painting was believed to be the lowest form of subject matter traditionally. Many people assumed that it possessed the least intellectual content. Still, life as an element of subject matter became prominent in Europe during the 17th century. It showed individuals’ demand to be viewed as substitutes for real things, need for luxury products, and reflected the need for the full range of the available issues.

Another essential subject matter artist is Jan Brueghel. He is classified as the primary flemish existing at this period. He produced the famous Flower Still life in 1600. Each flower is a subject matter showing an artist as individuals competing with nature’s craft. Besides, flowers during the 17th century were seen as valuable and precious commodities. They represented a form of possession fantasy. According to Jan Brueghel’s work, painting surpasses what nature can provide. Clara Peeters was also prominent in painting still life art. An excellent example of his work was Still Life with Flowers, Dried Fruit, Goblet, And Pretzels painted in 1613. She encompassed precious foods and objects from various regions of the globe. Her ideology showcases the notion of obtaining beautifully crafted objects.

Painter Adriaen Brouwer is prominent for the lower subject matter. His art represented the lower-class scenes. He engaged in paintings collected by people from a different class whose only purpose was bourgeois consumption. The subject matter in his painting was unfortunate. He represented their stereotype. Jan Steen, his work, the Skittle Players, is also another artist who used the lower class as subject matters. He represented the typical Bourgeois’ life. He painted Individuals enjoying a game outside. Although he was a French impressionist, he was absorbed into the famous Dutch genre painting.

Landscaping was also another form of the subject matter. Claude Gellee acknowledged Delphi as a crucial urban genre in Greece. He explored its weather, nature, and light in varying moments of the day. In the process, he incorporated all the naturalistic elements and directed them in one grand scale. He also included changing weather and dramatic lighting elements to showcase different times of the day. As such, this painting is evidence of how artists use their techniques in using nature as their subject matter.

In conclusion, the new forms of subject matter, namely, still life painting, genre painting, and landscaping, are reflected in everyday life because of their ability to reflect reality and life. In this form of painting, the artist makes a lot of choices and decisions. They also value the meanings they convey. The paintings involve repeated life scenes, which makes them present in most European countries hence their ability to exploit the human form and space.