FIGURATIVE IMAGE: CHARACTERISTICS AND TYPES - ART - 2024

A figurative image is a visual representation whose forms are identifiable by one of our senses, putting them in relation to figures that exist in reality; the figurative images are the representations closest to the environments perceived by man.

In the figurative, emotions, landscapes, objects and, above all, people are represented, whose faithful representation is one of the foundations of the image and figurative art. In the figurative images all the contours and silhouettes present are clearly identifiable and distinguishable from each other.

The figurative image and all the artistic and expressive aspects that make use of it, is considered the opposite of the abstract image. They are usually present in supports such as plastic arts, sculpture, design and illustration, among others.

Throughout history, various artistic currents have made figurative images their expressive center, being capable of creating variations and new visual conceptions that persist to this day.

As an example, cave painting can be considered as the first figurative manifestation in the history of man, since it represented figures that man perceived in reality, and tried to recreate them as accurately as possible.

Characteristics of the figurative image

There are certain formal conceptions about the components that form a figurative image; among them are line, shape, volume, light, color, perspective and texture.

Because the highest possible accuracy is sought, since the source is perceptible in reality, sensory perceptions must be transpolated to the creation technique.

The figurative image is also capable of containing a narrative within its elements and composition, this intention being exploited by various artistic currents.

New formats of representation, such as graphic design and digital illustration, have taken advantage of the use of the figurative and have given it a level of easier access and practice, as well as have influenced the notions regarding new ways of representation.

Types of figurative images

The figurative image has been classified mainly into two types: figurative-realistic and figurative non-realistic.

Realistic figurative image

It seeks to represent the world, or some space within it, in the way that the human eye perceives it. Reality as a source prevails over the rest of the elements, and seeks to mimic through the design and composition of the image.

In the realistic figurative image, the figure of man and woman have come to obtain much more importance than other elements, although these do not lack detail and precision.

Physical features are exalted to create emotional situations, as are the contours and imperfections of the body.

Non-realistic figurative image

The main difference with the realistic one is that, despite also representing real elements, in the non-realistic figurative image some proportions are exaggerated and intervened to create a state of natural asymmetry without moving away from being a real object.

Figures are taken from reality, to later be modified without losing their shape and identifiable attributes.

These are distorted versions, where the conceptions of volume are modified. Other techniques highlight the most aesthetic or unpleasant characteristics of objects, taking their conceptions to extremes.

The distortion of the image does not necessarily move the content towards the abstract, as long as the central element can be identified and differentiated from its own environment.

Some currents that opt ​​for the non-realistic figurative image can be caricature, expressionism and idealism.

Evolution of the figurative image

The sculptures made by the Greeks are not considered an example of a figurative image because the proportions of their figures were considered idealized and with a fairly geometric character.

The Greeks, in their creations, appealed to the ideal form; not necessarily the one they perceived around them, in reality.

The first notions about the figurative image were born from ancient Egyptian art, whose vestiges and pictorial representations offered a more down-to-earth look at the real figures compared to those created.

However, this did not exonerate Egyptian art from containing a large number of subjective and symbolic elements.

From the 18th century on, the figurative image found itself facing new facets in which it could be exposed and disseminated.

New languages ​​and expressive forms such as cinema and photography can be considered supports whose contents make use of the figurative image with narrative and aesthetic intentions.

Figurative art

The greatest use of figurative images can be found in artistic manifestations, and the trends that have developed over the years. Figurative art contemplates all aspects that use the figurative image as its content.

Figurative art presents pieces that have their source in reality, be they urban or natural settings, historical events or portraits.

Structural or architectural forms, history and characters were the main sources of inspiration.

The origin of figurative art dates back to the thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth centuries and onwards, whose main supports were painting and sculpture.

Europe was the epicenter of these expressions. By then, the conception of the abstract image in art did not exist, so figurative art was perceived as the only possible notion, and not the opposition to another form of perception.

Currents such as the Renaissance, Baroque and Mannerism made use of the figurative image in their works, by the hand of artists such as Nicolas Poussin and Paul Cézanne, who dedicated themselves to a work where logical form prevailed over ornament.

Today, the presence of figurative images in formats and media that are not considered art, and whose purposes may vary between commercial and business, does not invalidate the representative character of the image for man.

Rather, it allows him to strengthen his notion and perception of the environment from the consumption of identifiable images on different media.

References

1. Cotton, C. (sf). The Photograph as Contemporary Art. Thames and Hudson.
2. Davis, W. (1986). The Origins of Image Making. Current Anthropology, 193-215.
3. Hoffmann, J., Denis, M., & Ziessler, M. (1983). Figurative features and the construction of visual images. Psychological Research, 39-54.
4. Mitchell, WJ (1984). What is an Image?. New Literary History, 503-537.
5. Tate Collection. (sf). Glossary: ​​Figurative. Retrieved from The National Archives: nationalarchives.gov.uk.