s common for the modern sculpture and painting to have no specific subject on which the work is based. Theater and opera always have subjects. It is just as common to find music without subjects as with subjects.
The subject of art describes the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the work. There are two ways of representing the subject: realism and abstraction. Although no art is ever like nature, when an artist presents details that are close to those seen in nature it is referred to as realism. Abstraction represents only certain characteristic elements of the subject.
Signs and symbols are used throughout the visual arts. Signs have definite meanings while symbols have broader connotations. Signs convey specific bits of information. An example of a relatively clear symbol is Edvard Munch's The Shriek.
Artists who use subjects in their work have a wide variety from which to choose. These subjects may be beautiful or ugly. Both in visual arts as in literature the villainous is portrayed almost as often as the heroic. The value of a work of art is not dependent on the beauty of its subject matter: "Finally, and this is most important, the content of a work of art--its significance, value and importance to us--is more than its subject and theme" (Dudley, Faricy, and Rice 56).
3 Although many of the subjects of art are clear and do not require explanation, other works of art require understanding and knowledge of the subject. An example is Michelangelo's David, which is a beautiful sculpture regardless of the viewer's knowledge of the subject. However, knowing the background of the subject of this work enhances understanding of the art.
Although the number of sources for subjects is limitless, most artists derive their subjects from the following sources: nature, history, Greek and Roman mythology, the Judaeo-Christian tradition, oriental sacred texts, and other works of art. Nature includes an...