abraham bloemaert
Inside: A curated collection of artworks that exemplify the use of space in art—demonstrating how artists create depth, perspective, and a sense of environment. This resource is part of our comprehensive Elements and Principles of Art series, designed to support and inspire your art lessons.
Space is a fundamental element that helps convey depth and dimension in art. Whether through perspective, overlapping, or the use of positive and negative areas, artists manipulate space to guide the viewer’s eye and create a sense of realism or abstraction.
In this post, you’ll find a variety of artworks showcasing different techniques to represent space, perfect for sparking discussion and analysis in your classroom.
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Explore the full Elements of Art series for more resources and examples to enrich your curriculum.
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Examples of Space in Art
Space in Art Examples: Vast/Open Space
- Caspar David Friedrich, Monk by the Sea, 1809
- Andrew Wyeth, Christina’s World, 1948
- Maruyama Okyo, Geese Over a Beach, 18th century
- Sanford R. Gifford, Isola Bella in Lago Maggiore, 1871
Artworks that Show Space using Overlapping
- John Sloan, South Beach Bathers, 1907-08
- Horace Pippin, Man on a Bench, 1946
- Trigo Piula, Ta Tele Gabon, 1988
- Jacob Lawrence, The Library, 1960
Space in Art Examples: Relative Size
- John Sloan, South Beach Bathers, 1907-08
- Ben Shahn, Italian Landscape, 1943-1944
- Abraham Bloemaert, Shepherd Boy Pointing at Tobias and the Angel, c. 1625-1630
- Pierre Adolphe Valette, Albert Square, Manchester, 1910
Artworks that Show Space using Vertical Position on the Picture Plane
- John Sloan, South Beach Bathers, 1907-08
- Andrew Wyeth, Christina’s World, 1948
- Basawan and Chatar Muni, Akbar and the Elephant Hawai, ca. 1590
- Tom Wesselmann, Still Life #12, 1962
- Jacob Lawrence, The Library, 1960
Artworks with Flat/Shallow Space
- Byzantine, Justinian and his Attendants, Basilica di San Vitale, 547 C.E
- Giotto, Scrovegni Chapel Frescoes, ca. 1305
- Henri Matisse, Red Room (Harmony in Red), 1908
- Juan Gris, Violin and Playing Cards, 1913
Artworks with Foreshortening
- Caravaggio, Conversion on the Way to Damascus, 1601
- Andrea Mantegna, Lamentation Over the Dead Christ, c. 1501
- James Montgomery Flagg, I want you for U.S. Army, c.1917
Artworks with Linear Perspective
- Masaccio, Trinity, 1427-28
- Raphael, School of Athens, 1510
- Meindert Hobbema, The Avenue at Middelharnis, 1689
- Gustave Caillebotte, The Floor Scrapers, 1875
Artworks with Multipoint (2+) Perspective
- Canaletto, Santa Maria Zobenigo, c.1765
- Gustave Caillebotte, Paris: A Rainy Day, 1877
- George Tooker, The Subway, 1950
- Jan Vredeman de Vries, Studies in Perspective, c. 1604
Space in Art Examples: Atmospheric/Aerial Perspective
- Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, c. 1503-19
- Claude Lorrain, Landscape with Ruins, Pastoral Figures, and Trees, c. 1650
- Albert Bierstadt, Sunrise, Yosemite Valley, c. 1870
- Sanford R. Gifford, October in the Catskills, 1880
Positive and Negative Space in Art
- Henry Moore, Recumbent Figure, 1938
- Eadweard Muybridge, Sallie Gardner at a Gallop, 1878
- Alberto Giacometti, The Cage, 1930-31
- Keith Haring, Pop Shop IV (Man with Hole), 1989
- Andy Goldsworthy, Circles, Varied
- Kenneth Snelson, Needle Tower, 1968
- Sesshū Tōyō, Haboku-Sansui, 1495
- Richard Serra, Sequence, 2006
- Auguste Rodin, The Cathedral, 1908