overview:

In this article, I aim to highlight the brief history the rule of thirds (ROT), its benefits, as well as its practical application within painting and photography. I will then explain how the implementation of ROT has become dialectical standard of society which discriminates between artist and layman. Lastly, I will investigate a study, which pits images to which the rule of thirds applies against those which it does not apply in the locus of scrutiny which contrasts the rule against today’s contextual standard of aesthetics.

What is the rule of thirds?

The rule of thirds is the most well-known rule used in painting and photography, and is one of the first principles taught in design theory. When applying ROT, the artist will place the focus point of the image along one of the “third lines”, or on one of the intersections of the “third lines”. The rule of thirds is in contrast with what some photographers call “the Kodak rule”, in which all subjects are captured in the dead center of the frame (Antunes, 2017). In another variation of the rule, the artist will fill two thirds of the frame with one element, and one thirds with another element – water and sky for example (Amirshah, Hayn-Leichsenring, Denzler, & Redies, 2014).

History

In 1797, John Thomas Smith proclaimed that the rule of thirds was a superior method of composing images, creating more harmonizing works of art – rural scenery landscapes in Smith’s case (Amirshah, Hayn-Leichsenring, Denzler, & Redies, 2014). According to critics and experts in photography, the rule of thirds is the most important rule of composition that there is (Amirshah, Hayn-Leichsenring, Denzler, & Redies, 2014).

Although Smith is widely cited as the first person to use the rule of thirds; it must be clarified that he was only the first to formally name it in a published book. Artists have been using the rule of thirds for millennia. Ancient Achaemenic and Sassanic stone carvers and artisans, dating further back than 400 BCE, had been applying the rule of thirds without giving it a label (Nafisi, 2013). Nafisi gives several examples of ancient uses of the rule of thirds; one example being large carved reliefs of Ahura Mazda and Xerxes carves on prominent kings’ tombs in Naghsh-e Rostom, Iran (Nafisi, 2013).

In fact, it seems that certain artists throughout time found the rule of thirds visually pleasing, while others did not. Famous photographers such as Ansel Adams and Edwards Weston as well as cinematographers such as Stanley Kubrick and Wes Anderson give no care to the rule of thirds (Antunes, 2017). Take note, that the names mentioned beforehand were masters of their field, and the most accomplished artists in their field of all time.

There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.

Ansel Adams

EXAMPLES

Here are some examples of the rule of thirds applied on photographs which I have taken myself. Note that some images were intentionally taken with the rule in mind, while others were not.

Artist vs. Layman

Many proponents of ROT have stated in the past; that the use of the rule is the discriminating factor between a true artist and a layman. A study conducted by Letsch and Hayn-Leichsenring in 2018 suggests that a naïve observer can immediately spot the differences in artwork between an artist and layperson, whether or not ROT is applied (Letsch & Hayn-Leichsenring, 2018).

Although I have mentioned that the naive observer can differentiate between a professional artist and a layperson, I do not yet suggest whether or not the images which utilize ROT are presumed to be more visually pleasing; we will examine the results later in the article.

In my humble opinion, the presumption that one must know and apply ROT in order to be considered a true artist is typical of the art snobbery that has been seen throughout the ages in which one who has acquired certain knowledge, skills or equipment sets themselves above those who have not. See my article on Pictorialism for a deeper elaboration on “art snobbery”

Art snobbery aside; one must also remember that the social context of beauty and aesthetics is constantly changing. What we thought to be aesthetically pleasing a decade ago, may not hold up to the test of time, while other ideas may. Jan Mukarovsky states that aesthetics are “not fixed, but are modified by situation and by changing subjective responses” (Mukarovsky, 2015).

The Study

Amirshahi, Hayn-Leichsenring, Denzler and Redies conducted an in-depth subjective experiment, on 30 participants to determine if utilization of ROT resulted in images that were more aesthetically pleasing. Saliency maps were used to determine whether or not subject images obeyed the rule of thirds, and were then put to the test.

As I stated earlier, participants were easily able to determine photographs taken by professionals from those taken by laypersons. The conclusion is very interesting when we look at the rule of thirds. Surprisingly, the results of the study concluded that the rule of thirds “seems to play only a minor, if any, role in large sets of high-quality photographs and paintings” (Amirshah, Hayn-Leichsenring, Denzler, & Redies, 2014).

Wrap-up

In summary, the rule of thirds is stressed as the most important rule of design theory and have been used by many proponents of the rule, as a determining factor between true artists and layperson. Over time, the social context of beauty and aesthetics change drastically, and although ROT was named and published in a book only in the past century; the application of the rule has existed in the archives of antiquity from the first carvings of our species.

Although Amirshahi et al’s study concluded that ROT did not play a major factor in the opinions of the aesthetics of high-quality images to 30 naïve participants, this does not mean that ROT is irrelevant. Personally, instead of placing an incredible amount of weight on ROT, I will always keep it in my tool box, and make use of it as the situation sees fit. I do agree that the use of the rule can add interest to a work of art, but I do not feel that you must know, use or apply it to be considered a true artist. That would be art snobbery.

WORKS CITED

Amirshah, S. A., Hayn-Leichsenring, G. U., Denzler, J., & Redies, C. (2014). Evaluating the Rule of Thirds in Photographs and Paintings. Art & Perception, 163-182.

Antunes, J. (2017). Rule of Thirds: a 18th century invention. ProPhoto.

Letsch, P., & Hayn-Leichsenring, G. U. (2018). The Composition of Abstract Images – Diffrences Between Artists and Laypersons. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 1-11.

Mukarovsky, J. (2015). Aesthetic Function, North and Value as Social Facts. Art in Translation, 282-303.

Nafisi, N. (2013). Application of the Golden Ratio (Rule of Thirds) in Achaemenid and Sassanid Reliefs Carved in Rock. World Applied Science Journal, 175-177.