DEFINITION
The
subject matter of a work of art (sometimes referred to as its content)
is the narrative, iconic, or non-objective meaning conveyed by an abstract
or a figurative composition. It is what is depicted in and by a work of
art. It also covers the function of an object or architecture that otherwise
has no narrative content.
SUBCATEGORIES
GENERAL
DISCUSSION
Indexing
the subject is core. All works of art and architecture have subject matter.
Subject matter is critical to any researcher of art, both the scholar
and the general public. The SUBJECT MATTER category may include
an identification, description, and/or interpretation of what is depicted
in and by a work or image.
What are subjects?
Subjects include things, places, activities, abstract shapes, decorations,
stories, and events from literature, mythology, religion, or history.
Philosophical, theoretical, symbolic, and allegorical themes and concepts
may be subjects. Subjects of representational (figurative) works may be
narrative, meaning that they tell a story or represent an episode in a
story; they may be non-narrative, representing persons, animals, plants,
buildings, or objects depicted in portraits, still lifes, landscapes,
genre scenes, architectural drawings, allegories, and so on. Non-representational
works also have subject matter, which may include a reference to abstract
content, decoration, function, or implied themes or attributes. Subject
should be recorded for all works and images, even those that have no narrative
or figurative "subject matter" in the traditional sense. For
abstract works, architecture, decorative arts, furniture, and other works
with no narrative or figurative subject matter, their "content"
may be the function of the works and important aspects of their form or
composition.
SUBJECT
MATTER records the answers to the question: What is the work "of"
or "about"? Traditionally, what the work is about
(often called about-ness) is defined as its iconographical, narrative,
thematic, or symbolic meaning; what the work is of (often
called of-ness) is defined as what would be seen in the work by
an objective, non-expert, unknowledgeable viewer. Consideration of all
these aspects of subject matter is important for retrieval. A methodical
approach to subject analysis is recommended. Subject may be analyzed by
posing successive questions Who?, What?, When?, and Where?
Catalogers should also examine the work at various levels of specificity
based loosely on theories of human perception and recognition of meaning
in images described by the scholar Erwin Panofsky.[1]
Panofsky identified three primary levels of meaning in art: pre-iconographical
description, expressional analysis or identification, and
iconographical interpretation. Using a simplified and more practical
application of this traditional art-historical approach can be helpful
in indexing subjects for purposes of retrieval. The first level, description,
refers to the generic elements depicted in or by the work (e.g., man).
The second level, identification, refers to the specific subject,
including named mythological, fictional, religious, or historical subjects
(e.g., George Washington). The third level, interpretation,
refers to the meaning or themes represented by the subjects and includes
a conceptual analysis of what the work is about (e.g., political power).
Types of subjects
The subject matter may be a story or tale, and thus is a narrative.
For example, the subject of a painting may be a narrative scene such as
Christ Led before Pilate [Figure
7] or the Crucifixion [Figure
20], which are both episodes in the Passion of Christ series.
A single work may include multiple episodes from the series. For example,
the Crucifixion panel by the master of the Parlement de Paris [Figure
20] contains a central depiction of the Crucifixion, with an
earlier scene of Veronica wiping Christ's face to the left (in
the background) and a later scene of Christ releasing the souls from
Purgatory (after his death) to the right. This altarpiece originally
also included two wings depicting yet other episodes from the Passion
series.
On the other hand, the subject matter of a work often need not tell a
story. The subject matter of a sculpture may be a young woman bathing
[Figure 23]; the
subject of a portrait may be a named Dutch official, Jacob van Reygersberg
[Figure 22]; the
subject of a sketch may be an elevation for a façade; the
subject matter of a pot can be its geometric decoration or its function;
the subject of a basilica may be its dedication to the Holy Cross
(Santa Croce) or its function as a place of worship. The subject
matter may be implied themes or attributes that come to light through
interpretation. For example, a brass door knob with an embossed lion's
head can express meaning beyond the depiction of an animal; it may suggest
the strength of the owner and protection for the house.
Subject
matter can be drawn from standard motifs based on literature, tradition,
or other works of art, or it can be highly individual and the result of
the artist's personal imagination. The content of a work of art is essential
to its conception, form, and power to communicate. By documenting the
particulars of a work's representational aspects, its significance and
uniqueness are defined.
Specificity
and exhaustivity
Include a general subject designation (e.g., portrait, landscape).
Specific terms should also be recorded; however, the level of specificity
and inclusiveness applied to cataloging the subject content of a work
of art or architecture will depend upon various factors, including the
depth of the cataloger's expertise and the quality and extent of information
available.
Uncertainty
Do not include information, such as interpretation, if you do not
have scholarly opinion to support it; furthermore, if expert knowledge
is unavailable, it is better to be broad and accurate rather than specific
and incorrect (e.g., index a creature broadly as bird rather than
specifically as goldfinch if you are uncertain of the species).
If there is scholarly debate about the subject, explain the uncertainty
in the SUBJECT MATTER - DISPLAY or DESCRIPTIVE NOTE and index all probable
subjects in SUBJECT MATTER.
Cataloging
rules
For the subcategories in this section, basic recommendations
and discussion are provided below. For a fuller, more prescriptive
set of cataloging rules for some of the subcategories, see
Chapter 6: Subject in
Cataloging Cultural Objects (CCO), which deals with a
critical subset of the CDWA.
RELATED
CATEGORIES and ACCESS
SUBJECT
MATTER is a primary access point. Queries
on subject matter may be further delimited by other parameters, so that,
for example, it is possible to identify depictions of the Crucifixion
in Germany and to compare them with those made in Italy, or to study the
changes in a particular artist's approach to a given subject matter, such
as Raphael's depictions of the Madonna and Child.
If the subject refers to function, you may record the same term in OBJECT/WORK
- TYPE. If the TITLE refers to subject, the subject must also be recorded
in SUBJECT MATTER.
Subject
Matter - Display
DEFINITION
A description of the subjects depicted in, on, or by the work.
EXAMPLES
Adoration
of the Magi; Madonna and Child in the foreground, with Joseph behind
her and the three Magi holding objects before her. [Figure
24]
Patron
of Pax and the Jaguar God of the underworld spear the Bearded Dragon.
Hercules with a club and a lion skin. The young, larger-than-life
god, holding the club with which he slew the Nemean lion, was intended
as an exemplar of human achievement and symbol of Hadrian. [Figure
5]
Fruit, culinary utensils and drapery arranged on a tabletop. [Figure
21]
Ruined buildings and figures in a landscape. [Figure
19]
Korean
Man in a fancy costume. [Figure
33]
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional:
Record a description of the subject of the work. Most institutions
will discuss the subject in the DESCRIPTIVE NOTE and do not need to repeat
the prose description here.
Form and Syntax
Use sentence case. You may use complete sentences and/or phrases. Begin
the first word of the note with an uppercase letter, and end the note
with a period. Follow rules for standard English grammar (if the record
is in another language, use grammar rules appropriate to that language).
If you rely upon information from a published source, cite the source
in SUBJECT MATTER - CITATIONS.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Free
text: This is not a controlled field. Index the subject in SUBJECT
MATTER - INDEXING TERMS.
RELATED
CATEGORIES and ACCESS
If
the subject is discussed in the DESCRIPTIVE NOTE, it need not be repeated
here.
Subject Matter - Indexing Terms
DEFINITION
Indexing
terms that characterize what the work depicts or what is depicted in it,
including generic terms and proper names.
EXAMPLES
seascape
woman
baby
lion skin
Adoration
of the Magi [Figure
24]
Annunciation [Figure
28]
Herakles [Figure
5]
Socrates
Henry IV
Thomas Jefferson
Chicomecoatl
Kalala Hunga
Piazza San Marco (Venice, Italy)
Himeji Castle (Hyogo prefecture, Japan)
grand staircase, Opéra (Paris, France)
Tokyo (Japan)
strength
power
death
virgin birth
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Required: Record
one or more terms that characterize the persons, groups of persons, things,
places, activities, abstract shapes, decorations, stories, events from
literature, mythology, religion, or history, and philosophical, theoretical,
symbolic, or allegorical themes depicted in the work. Even though the
subject matter may be referred to in the TITLES OR NAMES category, a thorough
indexing of the content is required in SUBJECT MATTER.
In order to ensure consistent indexing, the cataloging institution should
establish guidelines regarding the number of subject terms to be assigned
to each work based on available time and resources. The following methods
may be used: Catalogers may assign terms for each of the three levels:
description, identification, and interpretation (see EXTENT
below). They may use a checklist of objects, persons, events, activities,
places, and periods, corresponding to the questions Who?, What?, When?,
and Where? They may read the work from left to right, from top to bottom,
from foreground to background, or from the most prominent to least prominent
subjects in the work. Works that have a primarily functional purpose,
such as architecture and utilitarian objects, should also be analyzed
for subject, including the work's function and/or form.
Note
that identification of the subject may change over time, as when Giambologna's
Young Woman Bathing [Figure
23] was previously identified as Bathsheba, and before that
as Bathing Venus. If the identification of the subject has changed
or is disputed or uncertain, describe it in SUBJECT MATTER - DISPLAY or
DESCRIPTIVE NOTE, and index all possible subjects; for example, a drawing
by Leonardo da Vinci may depict the Christ Child with a Lamb, or
the child may be John the Baptist [Figure
30].
For
all works
It is required to index the work using general terms that would allow
researchers to find all similar subjects (e.g., portrait, landscape,
nonrepresentational).
For
figurative works
Record all named subject matter in the work, including the proper names
of people, fictional characters, places, events, and iconographical themes
(e.g., Adoration of the Magi). In addition, add terms that generically
identify things depicted in the work (e.g., human female, goldfinch,
temple).
For nonrepresentational works
For works with no figurative or narrative content, such as nonrepresentational
or abstract art, describe the visual elements of the composition (e.g.,
geometric patterns, friezes, spheres). Alternatively, for decorative
arts and material culture objects that are primarily functional, describe
the object's function (e.g., watering can, prayer rug, divination object).
For such objects, record themes or allegorical or symbolic meanings, if
any.
For architectural works, use terms that describe the work's purpose or
primary function. This can include its function based on ownership, activities
associated with its use, or its purpose based on developmental design
(e.g., corporate headquarters, church, religious building, tract houses).
The subject term may repeat the OBJECT/WORK - TYPE. For churches and other
buildings with dedications, record the dedication as a subject.
Multiple subjects
For a group of works, include all of the subjects represented in the group,
if possible. If there are too many subjects to include them all, include
the most important or most prominent subjects.
When a single work contains multiple subjects, include a clarification
in the SUBJECT MATTER - DISPLAY or DESCRIPTIVE NOTE field and index all
subjects in the controlled fields. Use SUBJECT MATTER - EXTENT to indicate
where each subject is depicted on the work.
Form
and syntax
Express the subject in natural word order. Use the name or term used most
often in scholarly literature to refer to the subject. Capitalize the
proper names of events (real or fictional) (e.g., Coronation of Queen
Elizabeth II), historical people, fictional characters, and titles
of literature, songs, etc. Express generic terms in lower case. Avoid
abbreviations.
Use
a name or term in the language of the catalog record, if applicable (e.g.,
Adoration of the Magi in an English record, rather than the Italian
Adorazione dei Magi). For proper names, when there is no English
equivalent for a subject, or if a non-English name is more commonly used,
use a name in the appropriate language (e.g., Quetzalcóatl).
Use diacritics as appropriate.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Authority
and controlled list: For the general terms, you may use a controlled
list, including the following terms and others as necessary: advertising/commercial,
allegory, animal, apparel, architecture, botanical, ceremonial object,
cityscape, funerary art, genre, history/legend, human figure, interior
architecture, landscape, literary theme, machine, military, mixed motif,
object (utilitarian,) nonrepresentational art, portrait, didactic/propaganda,
religion/mythology, seascape, still life. Alternatively, the general
terms may be controlled by the GENERIC CONCEPT AUTHORITY.
Control
terminology with the SUBJECT AUTHORITY for the proper names of the following:
historical events; fictional characters, places, and events; religious
or mythological characters or events; literary themes; iconographical
themes. An authority with hierarchical structure, cross referencing, and
synonymous names is recommended.
Control
terminology with the other authorities when indicated: Control the names
of historical people and corporate bodies with the PERSON/CORPORATE BODY
AUTHORITY; control the name of geographical places with the PLACE/LOCATION
AUTHORITY; control generic subject terms with the GENERIC CONCEPT AUTHORITY.
Populate the authorities named above with published vocabularies when
possible, including the AAT, ICONCLASS, Garnier's Thesaurus
iconographique, TGN, Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae,
Louis Réau's Iconographiede l'art chrétien,
Gertrude Schiller's Iconography of Christian Art,Bibliotheca
Sanctorum, George Kaftal's Iconography of the Saints in Italian
Painting, Lexikon byzantinisch-christlicher Symbole, and Andor
Pigler's Barockthemen, Richard Brilliant's Gesture and Rank
in Roman Art, and Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the
Maya, NGA (NIMA), the Index of Jewish Art, LCSH, LC Name Authorities,
Canadiana_Authorities, ULAN, and dozens of others for Western
and non-Western art, as listed in the pertinent CDWA Authorities
sections.
Where
necessary to clarify the subject to the end user, it is recommended to
display broader contexts, biographical information for persons, or other
clarifying information in parentheses or with other punctuation to avoid
confusion (e.g., Marilyn Monroe (American actress, 1926-1962); Saint
Bravo Cathedral (Haarlem, the Netherlands); Storm King Mountain (Orange
county, New York, USA); Krishna (incarnation of Vishnu, Hindu diety);
Immaculate Conception (Life of the Virgin cycle)). This parenthetical
information may be generated for display from the authorities.
Using
authorities for subjects also assures that synonyms are accessible. For
example, in the SUBJECT AUTHORITY, Hercules is the Roman name and
Herakles is the Greek name for the same mythical hero [Figure
5]; the Three Kings and the Three Wise Men are the same
characters as the Magi [Figure
24]. In the GENERIC CONCEPT AUTHORITY, stag beetle and pinching
bug are synonyms for insects of the family Lucanidae
[Figure 15].
RELATED
CATEGORIES and ACCESS
This
is a PRIMARY ACCESS POINT. It is required to record subject here, even
if the subject is referred to in OBJECT/WORK TYPE or TITLE OR NAME. Express
nuance or uncertainty regarding subject in the SUBJECT MATTER - DISPLAY
or DESCRIPTIVE NOTE subcategories.
Subject
Matter
- Indexing Terms - Type
DEFINITION
A classification of the level of subject description indicated by the
indexing terms, for use if necessary to distinguish between what a work
is "of" and what it is "about."
EXAMPLES
description
identification
interpretation
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record a term to designate the type
of subject being recorded. Use lower case. This designation
will allow the distinction between a subject reflecting what
the work is "of" (description and identification)
or from what the work is "about" (interpretation).
The
first level of subject analysis has to do with an objective description
of what is depicted. For example, with Houdon's statue in the Hermitage,
the description terms may be human male and uniform, because
it depicts a man in uniform. The second level of subject analysis is an
identification of the subject (portrait of George Washington).
Both description and identification describe what the work
is "of." The third level of subject analysis would identify
deeper meaning as interpretation (e.g., political power, given
that Washington stands in a Classical pose and leans upon a bundle of
rods that signified the authority of Roman magistrates – thus Houdon associates
Washington with great and powerful Roman magistrates of antiquity). Interpretation
describes what the work is "about."
Description
Terms for description refer to generic elements depicted in or
by the work. These are terms reflecting only what you would see in the
subject if you did not know the specific people, event, story, or place
depicted (e.g., human female, nude, column, train, picnic, red circle,
anamorphosis, bird's-eye perspective, boats, battle, boys playing, man
and woman kissing). For example, if you were analyzing a statue of
Shiva, a generic description term would be human male, because
you would not know his name or that he was a Hindu deity.
Identification
Terms for identification refer to the specific subject, including
named historical, mythological, religious, fictional, or literary subjects
(e.g., Leiden (Holland), Bodhisattva, Endymion, Three Graces, Madonna
and Child, Rape of Lucretia, Adoration of the Magi, Buddha Taming the
Mad Elephant, Hercules and Antaeus, Washington Crossing the Delaware,
Battle of Waterloo, Vanitas, Orans ). These will often, but not always,
be proper names. Identifiable iconography can include narrative or non-narrative
content. For the statue of Shiva, identification terms would include
Shiva (Hindu deity).
Narrative iconography includes images of fictional or historical
events. These events can be characterized visually as individual
events, such as Burning of the Houses of Parliament;
as episodes, such as the Birth of the Virgin (which
is an episode in the Life of the Virgin Mary cycle);
or as full cycles, such as the Labors of Hercules.
The Mad Hatter's Tea Party is an example of a fictional
subject; Buddha Disputing with the Sages or the Crucifixion
is a religious subject; Maximilian Led to the Firing Squad
and Ashurbanipal Killing a Lion are historical narratives.
If the subject is taken from a literary work, the work of
literature should be cited in SUBJECT MATTER -CITATIONS. For
example, David's Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis
[Figure
6] was based upon the didactic novel Télémaque
written by Fénelon in 1699.
Non-narrative
iconography consists of static, self-contained representations of individual
people, topographical locations, or objects. Non-narrative iconography
is exemplified by Portrait of Louis XIV, View of Lake Como,
or Still Life with Japanese Beetles. It may be difficult to separate
narrative from non-narrative scenes, for example, a depiction of Christ
Crucified with Saints Francis and Anthony Attending is a devotional
image that takes a narrative episode from the Life of Christ and
places it in the midst of medieval saints who ponder its significance.
To an untrained observer who does not realize that the three protagonists
are not part of the same story, this nuance would be indecipherable. Iconographical
information depends upon literary source material, historical documentation,
and the traditions of visual and material culture.
Interpretation
Terms for interpretation refer to the meaning or themes represented
by the subjects and includes a conceptual analysis of what the work is
about (e.g., salvation,
original sin, sacrifice, truth, power, innocence, idolatry).
Works
of art often have meaning beyond the identified subject. For example,
a portrait may convey an association between the sitter and a historical
or mythological figure; conversely, a mythological figure maybe a portrait
of a living person, as in Canova's Maria Paolina Borghese as Venus
Victrix. Likewise, subjects may refer to qualities or themes.For the statue of Shiva, the interpretation could be destroyer,
if scholarly or other authoritative sources state that the sculpture portrays
him in that role.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Controlled list: Control this subcategory with a controlled
list, using the following terms: description, identification, interpretation.
Subject
Matter - Indexing Terms - Extent
DEFINITION
When
there are multiple subjects, a term indicating the part of the work to
which these subject terms apply.
EXAMPLES
recto
verso
side A
side B
main panel
predella
general
overall
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record a term designating the part
of the work for which the subject terms are pertinent. Use
lower case.
Examples of Extent could include side A, side B, recto,
verso, main panel, predella, etc. Use the terms general
or overall when necessary to distinguish the overall
subject from the subject of the parts.
This
subcategory may be used when a single work may has multiple subjects.
For example, a Greek vase may have the Judgment of Paris on Side
A and Two Amazons Battling a Greek Warrior on Side B
[Figure 9]; a polyptych may have 10 subjects (such as Saint Catherine,
Saint Ursula, Madonna and Child, Saint Apollonia, Saint Mary Magdalen,
John the Baptist, Saint John the Evangelist, Saint James Major, Saint
Bartholomew and Saint Peter
[Figure 2].
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Controlled list: Control this subcategory with a controlled
list, using the terms in the Examples above, and others as necessary.
Subject
Matter - Interpretive History
DEFINITION
The interpretive history or iconology of a work is its place in the history
of the meaning of its subject matter. Studies in iconology trace the developments
and changes of meaning of an iconographical subject over long periods
of time and often in more than one society.
EXAMPLES
[for
Endymion Sleeping]
In Western society, the motif of a reclining male figure, sleeping
with one arm over his head as in this work, begins in the third century
BCE to represent a demi-god's disturbed sleep (e.g.,Barberini Faun);
in the second century CE, when this work was made, the Romans used it
as a symbol of the drugged sleep of a human male who is about to be
deified (e.g., Endymion).
[for
St. John the Baptist]
In early Christian times, St. John the Baptist was represented as
a shepherd, the precursor of Christ, the Good Shepherd. By the tenth
century, when this work was made, John was represented as a haggard,
emaciated hermit, a prophet who lived in the desert, who warned of coming
damnation if the people did not repent and follow the Messiah whom he
had recognized, and for whom he would die a martyr. He was designated
as the last of the Old Testament prophets and the first of the New;
he was the first soul to be freed from limbo.
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional:
Record a discussion of how the subject in this work relates to
other depictions of the same the subject. Most institutions will discuss
this topic in the DESCRIPTIVE NOTE and do not need to repeat it here.
Form
and Syntax
Use sentence case. You may use complete sentences and/or phrases. Begin
the first word of the note with an uppercase letter, and end the note
with a period. Follow rules for standard English grammar (if the record
is in another language, use grammar rules appropriate to that language).
If you rely upon information from a published source, cite the source
in SUBJECT MATTER - CITATIONS. TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Free
text: This is not a controlled field. Index the subject in SUBJECT
MATTER - INDEXING TERMS.
RELATED
CATEGORIES and ACCESS
If
the subject is discussed in the DESCRIPTIVE NOTE, it need not be repeated
here. The general history of the subject should be discussed in the SUBJECT
AUTHORITY, and need not be repeated here.
Subject
Matter - Remarks
DEFINITION
Additional notes or comments pertinent to information in this category.
DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record a note containing additional
information or comments on this category. Use consistent syntax
and format. For rules regarding writing notes, see DESCRIPTIVE
NOTE.
FORMAT/TERMINOLOGY
Free-text: This is not a controlled field.
Use consistent syntax and format.
Subject
Matter - Citations
DEFINITION
A reference to a bibliographic source, unpublished document, or individual
opinion that provides the basis for the information recorded
in this category.
DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record the source used for information
in this category. For a full set of rules for CITATIONS, see
RELATED TEXTUAL REFERENCES - CITATIONS.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Authority: Ideally, this information is controlled
by citations in the citations authority; see RELATED TEXTUAL
REFERENCES.
Subject Matter - Citations
- Page
DEFINITION
Page number, volume, date accessed for Web sites, and any
other information indicating where in the source the information
was found.
DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES
Optional: For a full set of rules for PAGE,
see RELATED TEXTUAL REFERENCES - CITATIONS - PAGE.
FORMAT/TERMINOLOGY
Free-text: This is not a controlled field.
Use consistent syntax and format.
EXAMPLES
For
various kinds of subjects
[historical event is depicted]
Subject indexing terms: history/legend | Lakota Battle
of Little Big Horn (Indian Wars) | Cheyenne | war| horses | death |
United States Army 7th Cavalry
[allegorical scene, a Chinese painting of an ancient plum tree with
two new shoots]
Subject indexing terms: allegory | botanical
| Spring | birth | plum tree | shoots | renewal
[narrative subject, Saint Bruno sees a heavenly vision while meditating
in the wilderness]
Subject indexing terms: religion/mythology
| Saint Bruno (French cleric, 11th century) | vision | heaven | angels
| wilderness | Carthusian order (Christian monastic order) | meditation
[landscape depicting a forest with a winding road and bridge, with
a castle in the distance]
Subject indexing terms: landscape
| castle | road | forest | bridge
[portrait photograph of Abraham Lincoln and two other men on the
Antietam battlefield]
Subject indexing terms: portraits
| history/legend | Allan Pinkerton (American Secret Service agent, detective,
1819-1884) | Abraham Lincoln (American president, 1809-1865) | John
McClernand (American Union General, 1812-1900) | Antietam Battlefield
(Sharpsburg, Maryland) | Battle of Antietam (American Civil War) | army
camp | United States Army | tent | president | campstool | war | stovepipe
hat | soldier | officer
[abstract work]
Subject indexing terms: nonrepresentational
| texture | light | spots | light and dark | positive and
negative space
[decorative arts, carpet with a prominent central sunflower, the
symbol of the Sun King Louis XIV]
Subject indexing terms: object (utilitarian)
| carpet | sunflower | acanthus leaf scrolls | fruit | Chinese
porcelain | flowers | Sun King | bowls | Louis XIV (French
king, 1638-1715, reigned 1643-1715)
[architecture, the Pantheon, Roman temple that was later a church
dedicated to Santa Maria ad Martyres]
Subject indexing terms: architecture | worship
| church | museum | temple | planetary gods | Queen of Martyrs
(Veneration of the Virgin Mary)
[drawing, part of an architectural work is depicted, section and
elevation of the drum and dome of Saint Peter's]
Subject indexing terms: architecture | Saint
Peter's (Rome, Italy) | dome | section | drum | elevation
| lantern | cathedral | buttresses | basilica | pilasters
| papal authority
Multiple
subjects
[continuous
narrative on a wedding chest, several scenes from the story of the Judgment
of Paris]
Subject indexing terms: religion/mythology
| landscape | Greek mythology | human male |
human female | Judgment of Paris | Trojan War (Greek legends) |Aphrodite (Greek goddess) | Athena (Greek goddess) | Hera (Greek goddess)
| Paris (Greek legendary character) | Helen (Greek legendary character)
| castle | fortified city | horse | beauty | love | contest | marriage
| victory of love over war
[multiple
subjects, for a portrait, where the identification of the sitter has
been changed; the former identification is included]
Subject indexing terms: portrait | human
male | halberd | nobleman | halberdier | sword | soldier
| ax | spear | battle-ax | weapon | Mannerist costume |
civic guard | Francesco Guardi (Italian nobleman, born 1514)
| Cosimo I de' Medici (Italian nobleman, 1519-1574, Grand
Duke of Tuscany 1569-1574)
[for
a group of drawings including views of several cities in Italy]
Subject indexing terms:
views | bird's-eye views | cadastral maps | topographical views
| cityscapes | Venice (Italy) | Rome (Italy) | Florence (Italy) | Naples
(Italy) | San Gimignano (Italy) | Turin (Italy) | Siena (Italy) | Lake
Garda (Italy) | landscapes | wind | architecture
Comparisons
of thorough and less thorough indexing
[a thorough indexing of a still life with flowers]
Subject indexing terms: still
life | botanical | flowers | roses | crown of thorns plant | lilies
|violet | hyacinth | tulips | sweetpeas | peonies | primrose | narcissus
| cyclamen | transience | caterpillar| flies | bird's nest | eggs
| ledge | urn | Pronkstilleven | smell |
beauty | transience | life | death | senses | Vanitas | Passion of Christ
[a briefer indexing of the same still life with flowers, listing
only the most prominent items in the painting and the interpretation]
Subject indexing terms:
still life | flowers | urn | ledge | crown of thorns plant
| tulips | roses | bird’s nest | insects | beauty |
transience | life | death | senses | Vanitas | Passion of
Christ
[for an amphora with two scenes depicted]
Subject indexing terms: religion/mythology
| ceremonial object |object (utilitarian) | human males
| human females | victor | competition | prize | Nike (Greek
goddess) | Athena Promachos (Greek iconography)
[for the same amphora, using the EXTENT field]
Extent: overall Subject indexing terms:
religion/mythology | ceremonial object
Extent: side A Subject
indexing terms:
Athena Promachos (Greek iconography) | human female
Extent: side B Subject
indexing terms:
Nike (Greek goddess) | victor | human female | prize | competition
[including the DISPLAY and TYPE fields, for a manuscript illumination]
Subject Matter Display: Shah Jahan on horseback, dressed
for the hunt.
Subject indexing term: portrait Type: description
Subject indexing term: horse Type:
description
Subject indexing term: hunt Type:
description
Subject indexing term:
Shah Jahan (Mughal emperor of India, 1592-1666, ruled 1628-1658
Type: identification
Subject indexing term: virility Type: interpretation
Subject indexing term: powerType: interpretation
Revised 28 August 2006
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