The book is devoted to the problem of fragmentation of the compositional whole in art. Examples from modern and classical art examine the role of detail in an image. The study of the types of identification and autonomization of a single expressive element is preceded by a review of concepts that have had a significant impact on the construction of models of the relationship between the artistic part and the whole. The semantics of the part selection and isolation techniques are revealed, figurative objects performing the part function are listed.