motif

(noun)

A recurring or dominant element in a work of art.

Related Terms

Examples of motif in the following topics:

  • Themes in Art

    • Themes are similar but also different from motifs in that themes are ideas conveyed by the visual experience as a whole, while motifs are repeated symbols found inside an overarching theme.
    • Simply having a repeating pattern or motif does not necessarily mean that that motif is the theme of the work of art, as the theme could be much broader.
    • Motifs are often thematic, but do not necessarily encompass the overall theme of a work of art.

  • Painting

    • Early Christians also adapted Roman motifs and gave new meanings to what had been pagan symbols.
    • Among the motifs adopted were the peacock, grapevines, and the "good shepherd" .
    • The result, was a fusion of pagan motifs and Christian symbolism that infused early Christian painting and iconography.
    • The Good Shepherd motif in painting is a fusion of pagan and Christian symbolism.

  • Sacred Objects

    • A sacred art object refers to art that makes use of religious inspiration and motifs.
    • A sacred art object refers to art that makes use of religious inspiration and motifs.

  • Sculpture of the Aztecs

    • A great deal of Aztec sculpture incorporated the skull motif; today this is known in Mexico as "skull art."
    • The stone is 11.75 feet in diameter and 3.22 feet thick, and it weighs about 24 tons; on its surface are intricate carvings and sculpted motifs that refer to central components of the Mexica cosmogony.

  • Vase Painting in the Orientalizing Period

    • Motifs, creatures, and styles were borrowed from others cultures by the Greeks transformed into a unique Greek-Eastern mix of style and motifs.
    • In this region, floral and animal motifs are common, but the human figure appears in the work of the most prominent painters such as the Analatos Painter, the Mesogeia Painter, and the Polyphemos Painter.

  • Bronze Age Rock Carvings

    • Traditionally, individual markings are called motifs, while groups of motifs are known as panels.

  • Geometric Symbolism

    • The square and rectangle play a significant role, especially in architectural motifs.
    • The eight-pointed star is another common motif, often found in tile-work and other media.
    • The Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain is a famous example of repeating motifs which occur in the tile and stucco decoration .
    • The Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain is a famous example of repeating geometrical motifs which occur in the tile and stucco decoration.

  • American Art Deco Architecture

    • Art Deco, which emerged in the 1920s and flourished in the 1930s - 1940s, is an eclectic style that combines traditional craft motifs with Machine Age imagery and materials.
    • The sunburst design executed in terracotta exemplifies Art Deco's characteristic combination of craft, ornament and geometrical motif.

  • Romanesque Sculpture: Majestat Batilo

    • The frontal geometric composition of the tunic decorated in circles and floral motifs is reminiscent of the refined Byzantine and Hispano-Moorish fabrics held in such high esteem in the Christian West during this time.
    • The tunic also has an analogy with an Islamic motif abacus of the cloister of the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Moissac, which seems to prove the spread during the Romanesque period.

  • The Opus Anglicanum

    • The motifs used followed the trends in other forms of art such as illuminated manuscripts and architecture, including the use of scrolls and spirals sometimes with foliage.