How did the works of Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg contribute to the development of Pop art?

Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg were two of the most influential artists of the Pop art movement, which emerged in the 1950s and '60s. Both artists created works that challenged traditional notions of art and drew upon popular culture, consumer goods, and mass media. Their works paved the way for future Pop artists by breaking down the boundaries between high and low art.

Johns is known for his use of familiar symbols and images such as flags, targets, and numbers in his paintings, which he rendered in a deliberately flat and impersonal style. He incorporated everyday objects and materials such as newspapers, maps, and cans into his work, a technique that would become a hallmark of Pop art.

Rauschenberg, who was a close friend and collaborator of Johns, is known for his "combines," which were works that combined painting, sculpture, and found objects. He incorporated everyday materials such as cardboard boxes, photographs, and street signs into his works, blurring the lines between painting and sculpture, and between art and life.

The works of Johns and Rauschenberg helped to establish the aesthetic and conceptual framework of Pop art, which celebrated the mundane, the mass-produced, and the commercial. Their approach to art-making paved the way for future generations of artists to explore the relationship between art and popular culture, and to blur the boundaries between high and low culture.