Art evolves over time, adapting to the influences of past artists, society and current events. Recently, it seems that the work of art has acquired a subjectivity that allows the artist and the viewer to better interpret the work of art. John Richardson's essay in A Life of Picasso titled "Plundering the Past" discusses the approach that viewers of artwork should look at a work of art and try to see the artist's influences when of its creation. These influences may come from past artists or from past periods in art history, or from events in society. Although it uses artist Pablo Picasso as its main subject, this could apply to all artists. Johann Joachim Winckelmann, in his article "Reflections on the Imitation of Greek Works in Painting and Sculpture", discussed the approach of looking for the influences of ancient Greek and Roman art in the modern art of both last centuries. Specifically, Winckelmann noted that many artists use ancient Greek sculptures of the human body in order to correct musculature and bone structure. Allan Kaprow, in his book “Essays on the Blurring of Art and Life,” advocates the approach of considering art as a subjective expression. He believes that recent artists have abandoned previously rigid artistic standards and allowed art to be what the artist wants it to be. Inspired by Richardson's discussion of the artist Pablo Picasso, I chose to discuss Picasso's Pan's Pipes, completed in 1923 (figure 1). I also chose to talk about Salvador Dali's Paranoid Face, completed in 1935 (figure 2). Although both paintings date from the 20th century, I chose them because the artists' respective influences were very di...... middle of paper ......ence or was he suffering from delusions? At this time, advances were being made in the field of abnormal psychology and delusions were being accepted as a true mental disorder. I would also like to know if the artist was trying to create an optical illusion or if it was just an accident. Questions about the artist's state of mind will remain unanswered. We will probably never know for sure whether the artist was trying to appeal to the subjectivity of the time and the viewer or whether he was suffering from mental illusions.Works CitedKaprow, Allan. Essays on the blurring of art and life. University of California Press, 2003. Print. Richardson, John. A life of Picasso. Flight. 1. New York: Random House, 1991. Print. Winckelmann, Johann Joachim. Reflections on the imitation of Greek works in painting and sculpture. Open Court Publishing Co., 1986, printed.