representation

art

Also known as: representational art

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July 13, 2026

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Representational art is art that aims to depict reality, focusing on the lifelike or characteristic portrayal of nature and life. This approach, also known as realism or naturalism, seeks to create works that resemble the world around us.123

While the idea of art as imitation is ancient, modern theories distinguish between representing persons and things, and imitating other artists' styles. Even realistic art involves abstraction, as a two-dimensional painting cannot fully replicate a three-dimensional object. Representation can mean either depicting something or portraying a specific subject, often requiring the viewer to have some knowledge of the intended subject. Unlike visual arts, music is generally not considered representational as it cannot visually depict or describe subjects without additional context like titles.34

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aesthetics
Representation and expression in art
…word about, is sometimes called representation—a term that owes its currency in aesthetics to Croce and Collingwood, who used it to draw the familiar contrast between representation and expression.
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…word about, is sometimes called representation—a term that owes its currency in aesthetics to Croce and Collingwood, who used it to draw the familiar contrast between representation and expression.
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Chinese painting
Zhou dynasty (1046–256 bce)
…was the emergence of a representational art form, a departure from the ritualized depiction of fanciful and usually isolated creatures of the Shang and early to middle Zhou that is evident in the bronzes of this period. In decorating ceremonial objects, artists began to depict the ceremonies themselves, such as…
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…was the emergence of a representational art form, a departure from the ritualized depiction of fanciful and usually isolated creatures of the Shang and early to middle Zhou that is evident in the bronzes of this period. In decorating ceremonial objects, artists began to depict the ceremonies themselves, such as…
Read More

sculpture
…most important of these is representation. Before the 20th century, sculpture was considered a representational art, one that imitated forms in life, most often human figures but also inanimate objects, such as game, utensils, and books. Since the turn of the 20th century, however, sculpture has also included nonrepresentational forms.…
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…most important of these is representation. Before the 20th century, sculpture was considered a representational art, one that imitated forms in life, most often human figures but also inanimate objects, such as game, utensils, and books. Since the turn of the 20th century, however, sculpture has also included nonrepresentational forms.…
Read More