1. Genre

2. Genre:
a class or category of artistic endeavour having a particular form,
content, technique, or the like.
www.dictionary.com
So genre is just a fancy way of describing a type or category of
artwork.
Examples:
the genre of rap music
the genre of landscape painting
the genre of symphonic music
the genre of portrait photography
the genre of gothic novels (literature)
the genre of science fiction films

3. These paintings are by the
artist known as Canaletto,
1697 – 1768.
What genre (type) of
paintings are they?
The genre of landscape
painting (or urban
landscape)

4. What genre do these
paintings by the English artist
Thomas Gainsborough
belong to? The genre of
Portraiture (portrait
paintings)

5. How many different genres of painting can you
think of?
Discuss

6. We can have different genres based on the different
type of subject matter:
Landscape (natural and urban)
Portrait
Abstract
And we could also talk about different styles of painting
as representing different genres:
Expressionist, Impressionist
Cubist, Surreal,
Etc.

7. Photographic Genres
We have seen that there are several different
genres of painting. Similarly, there are a few genres
of sculpture.
The medium of photography is somewhat different
because it has many, many different genres!
Look at the following images, make notes as to
possible names for the different genres of
photography which you see

10. Ansel Adams

11. Ansel Adams

12. Andreas Gursky

13. Andreas Gursky

14. Edward Weston

15. Edward Weston

18. Eugene Atget

19. Eugene Atget

20. Eddie Adams

23. Henri Cartier Bresson

24. Henri Cartier Bresson

26. Henri Cartier Bresson

27. Jeff Wall

28. Man Ray

31. Diane Arbus

32. Diane Arbus

33. Martin Parr

34. Martin Parr

35. Horst P Horst

36. Cecil Beaton

43. Richard Billingham

44. Richard Billingham

45. David Bailey

46. David Bailey

50. Sam Taylor Wood

51. Sam Taylor Wood

52. Robert Franks

53. Robert Franks

54. How many different categories – or
genres of photography did you spot?

55. Here are just a few of the different genres of
photography
Which did you spot?
News
Portrait
Editorial
Landscape
Architectural
Sports
Vernacular
Fashion
Street Photography
Advertising
Documentary
Product
Medical
Candid
Abstract
Identity
Holiday ‘snaps’
Fine Art
Forensic
…………………. And more!

56. Key genres
• Portraiture – attempts to capture personality
and soul. Can refer to time and place
• Landscape – shows different locations,
traditionally as a form of status, now includes
cityscape, seascape etc. Can discuss social,
political or environmental issues within
• Documentary – to capture a moment in time.
Can be journalistic, social, political...
• Fine art – focus on meaning and
communication, can include all genres, linked to
painting styles

57. As we have seen, photography’s versatility means it has
many different genres.
Consequently, photography is very hard to ‘pin-down’ as
an artistic medium – it has so many different uses, styles,
categories, types …. genres!
In effect, photography sometimes seems to have no style
or characteristics which are unique and specific to the
medium itself – its sheer adaptability and versatility
seems overwhelming.
Partly because of this, there are some people who argue
that photography is NOT a true artistic medium.
Extension Work: What do you think about this
argument … can photography be an art? Discuss.