How to you identify the theme and mood of a painting? Is it personal opnion?

I'm trying to write an essay comparing paintings and I don't understand how to identify the theme and mood, can there be more then one?How to you identify the theme and mood of a painting? Is it personal opnion?
The theme is basically what is the painting about. Is it a painting of nature, a military scene, is it religious, patriotic, historical, abstract, does it depict one of the seasons etc. If it's a painting of people, what are they doing - is there a family theme - like in many of Mary Cassatt's paintings?





Many early paintings were allegorical - there is an excellent description of an allegorical painting of ';The Light of the World'; by William Holman Hunt - see 3rd link below.





As for mood, look at the colours - how do they make you feel? Are the colors bright and cheerful and make you feel in a good mood when you look at them, or are the colors brooding, dark and depressing. Are the colors garish, discordant and irritating? Or inspiring?





Also the structure of the painting can also suggest mood - horizontal lines in a painting are more restful than vertical or slanting lines. Light, pastel colors are gentle, whereas bright colors can be stimulating etc.





Contrast the paintings by the American artist Mary Cassatt with the abstract paintings ... they will put you in a different mood.How to you identify the theme and mood of a painting? Is it personal opnion?
What does it remind you of? How does it make you feel? It is easier to find a theme for non-abstract, representational paintings, but there is a strong correlation between mood and color.





Is it peaceful or full of energy? Sad? Angry? Happy? Warm?





Different people can view the same painting, and take away entirely different meanings. It is like dream interpretation.





There is no ';right'; answer. If you are being graded on this essay, it will probably be on the amount of thought you put into it, not on what you actually think.
The best way is to have a strong knowledge of art history. In order to understand a painting, and make genuine sense about it when you discuss it, one should be able to put it into historical context, and relate it to other works of art of those times.





Really discussing art is like discussing anything, you need to speak the language. This is why we often end up with the pathetic comment, ';I don't know much about Art, but I know what I like.'; To which we can reply, ';Who cares!?'; While on the other hand, someone who truly knows about the arts of the times and how your painting relates to those times, and why it has endured to our times, will be interesting to listen to.
At first I thought that it depends on each person's perception but after studying the history of art, you will be able to identify the exact mood of the painting.
There are really two schools on this.





1) In many 'older' or old school paintings the theme is a classical one. Paintings had a theme that would be recognized by any patron of the arts. Good example is the 'memento mori' paintings that had a dead (no pun intended) give away namely a skull in them. Or a biblical scene that had it's own theme directly from the bible. (Don't make the mistake of quantifying these as just a biblical theme. Every scene usually has it's particular special theme)





These themes you can't miss once you know what you can choose from.





2) In modern paintings it is usually a more personal theme that drives the painter. It can be pretty hard to determine what that is without asking the painter. Mostly you'd have to guess but always guess based on the 'evidence'. If you can tell what makes you think it is a theme you have a point. In a way it is a personal opinion.





Paintings can have many themes but limit your 'observations' to 1 main theme and 1 sub theme.





note: A painter may put himself in every painting in the way of a portrait. This would be a theme in his whole body of work. This may be worth mentioning but it would not be THE theme of a particular painting. (other example is Andy Warhol who has mas-production as a theme in all his work)