In simple terms
Collage is an art technique built by assembling different materials, such as paper, fabric, photographs, or found objects, onto a surface, rather than painting or drawing an image entirely from scratch. [1]
How it works
An artist working in collage gathers existing materials, newspaper clippings, wallpaper, ticket stubs, photographs, and arranges and glues them onto a surface, often combining them with paint or drawing as well. [1] Because the materials already carry their own texture, color, and meaning, often from their original context such as a printed headline or a patterned fabric, collage lets an artist build an image out of fragments that bring outside associations into the work, rather than generating every visual element by hand. [2]
The technique entered fine art in the early 20th century, when Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque began incorporating pasted paper and other materials directly into Cubist paintings, a practice sometimes called papier colle. [1] Artists in the following decades expanded collage dramatically, including through photomontage, which assembles cut photographic images, and later through digital collage techniques.
Why it matters
Collage challenged the assumption that a painting had to be built entirely from the artist’s own marks, opening the door to incorporating mass-produced imagery, text, and found material directly into fine art, an idea that influenced movements from Dada to Pop Art. [2]
Where you’ll see it
- Early Cubist works by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque
- Dada and Surrealist art incorporating found and printed material
- Photomontage political and satirical art
- Contemporary mixed-media and digital collage art
Example
An artist might glue cut strips of newspaper, a scrap of patterned fabric, and a torn photograph onto a canvas, then add painted lines connecting the fragments into a single composed image.
Often confused with
A mosaic is also assembled from separate pieces, but typically from uniform materials like tile or glass fit tightly together to form a single continuous image; collage uses varied, often found materials and generally leaves the seams and layering visible rather than smoothing them into one flat surface.
Key facts
- Collage assembles existing materials, such as paper, fabric, or photographs, onto a surface rather than generating every element by hand.1
- Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque are widely credited with bringing collage into fine art in the early 20th century through a technique sometimes called papier colle.1
- Photomontage is a related technique that assembles cut photographic images specifically, often for political or satirical effect.2
- Collage influenced later movements including Dada, Surrealism, and Pop Art.2
Quick checkWhat is the key difference between how collage and a traditional painting are built?Show answer
A traditional painting is built entirely from the artist's own painted marks, while collage assembles existing materials, such as paper or photographs, onto the surface alongside or instead of painted marks.
Sources
Editorially reviewed by Last reviewed November 1, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue