A classification of paintings by subject matter and theme.
Overview
Painting Genres
Painting genres are a classification system based on the subject matter and themes depicted. The hierarchy established by the French Royal Academy in the 17th century placed history painting at the top, followed by portraiture, genre painting, landscape, and still life. In modern times, new genres such as abstract art have emerged, expanding the diversity of artistic expression.
painting
art
genre
art history
western art
| code | slug | name | description | hierarchyRank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | history-painting | History Painting | The highest-ranked genre depicting scenes from history, mythology, religion, and literature. | 1 |
| 02 | portrait-painting | Portrait Painting | Paintings that depict the appearance and expression of specific individuals, capturing their personality. | 2 |
| 03 | genre-painting | Genre Painting | Paintings depicting everyday life and social customs of ordinary people. | 3 |
| 04 | landscape-painting | Landscape Painting | Paintings depicting natural scenery, cities, and buildings. | 4 |
| 05 | still-life-painting | Still Life Painting | Paintings depicting inanimate objects such as flowers, fruits, and tableware. | 5 |
| 06 | abstract-painting | Abstract Painting | Paintings that express through form and color without depicting concrete subjects. | |
| 07 | religious-painting | Religious Painting | Paintings depicting biblical stories, Christ, the Virgin Mary, and other religious subjects. | |
| 08 | mythological-painting | Mythological Painting | Paintings depicting stories from mythology such as Greek myths. | |
| 09 | self-portrait | Self-Portrait | Paintings in which artists depict themselves. | |
| 10 | nude-painting | Nude Painting | Paintings depicting the naked human body to express human physical beauty. |