HUMANITIES

Chapter 1 General Overview of Humanities

The word “humanities” comes from the Latin “humanus” which means human, cultured, and refined. To be human
is to have or show qualities like rationality, kindness, and tenderness. It has different connotations in different
historical eras. Today however, we know of humanities as a loosely defined group of cultural subject areas. Unlike
other subjects, it is not a group of scientific or technical subjects. Thus, the term “humanities” refers to the arts –
visual arts such as architecture, painting, and sculpture; music, dance, the theater or drama, and literature. They are
the branches of learning concerned with human thought, feelings and relations. The importance of the human being
and his feelings and how he expresses those feelings have always been the concern of the humanities.

Art is very important in our lives. It constitutes one of the oldest and most important means of expression
developed by man. Wherever men have lived together, art has sprung up among them as a language charged with
feeling and significance. The desire to create this language appears to be universal. As a cultural force, it is
pervasive and potent. It shows itself even in primitive societies.

Art, like love is not easy to define. It concerns itself with the communication of certain ideas and feelings by means
of a sensuous medium – color, sound, bronze, marble, words, and film. This medium is fashioned into a symbolic
language marked by beauty of design and coherence of form. It appeals to our minds, arouses our emotions,
kindles our imagination, and enchants our senses.

In every age or country, there is always art. Wherever we go, whether it be a city or province, here or abroad, we
surely have to pass buildings of various sorts – houses, schools, churches, stores, and others. Some of them appear
attractive and inviting; some do not. We look at some of them with awe or admiration. In viewing all these
buildings, however, we are being concerned with architecture which is one of the oldest and most important of the
many areas of art.

The art that we perceive through our eyes is called the visual art, and architecture is one part of it. Visual arts
involve not only painting and sculpture but include such things as clothes, household appliances, and the
furnishings of our homes, schools, churches and other buildings. Through the ideas selected by painters and
sculptors and the forms they create, they express the ideals, hopes, and the fears of the times in which they live.

Visual arts include much more than painting, sculpture and architecture. Out of the many common things we use in
our daily lives, we derive real pleasure. A chair, for example, can be beautiful as well as comfortable. A great
range of objects can be included in the visual arts, from the purely useful products at one extreme to those that
were designed only for their aesthetic appeal on the other. A similar range exists in all other fields of art. Because
of this range, we are surrounded by art in all the things we see, hear, do or use. The aesthetic aspects of any work –
a painting, song, story, dance, or play – are what make it art. Aesthetic refers to the forms and psychological forms
of art.

Another form of the more important arts is music. This is the art of combining and regulating sounds of varying
pitch to produce compositions expressing various ideas and emotions. Its primary function is to entertain. Thus,
when sounds are not regulated or when a piece of music is played improperly or in full blast, as in the case of
unregulated stereo, it ceases to give pleasure or it fails in its purpose. Music is ne of the great arts of our
civilization, along with literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, and dance. As an art, it bases its appeal on the
sensuous beauty of musical sounds.

Like the other arts, music deals with emotions. It’s being a “pure art” enables it to convey emotions with great
intensity and can affect people directly. It is a broad and varied field, serving various moods and occasions. Great
music especially, radiates infectious joy. Many who are receptive to great music find it exhilarating.

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Dance is another form of art that is common to man even during the earliest times. It is the most direct of the arts
for it makes use of the human body as its medium. It springs from man’s love for expressive gestures, his release
of tension through rhythmic movement. Dance heightens the pleasure of being, and at the same time mirrors the
life of society.

The dance of the olden times is different from that of the present time; the dance of the barrio folks is different
from the dances in the city. Primitives and non-primitives dances. The Ifugaos dance to celebrate the victory of the
warriors after a fight. Likewise the Bagobos dance to show gratitude to the spirits for success in war or domestic
affairs. Teenagers dance at parties; both young and old go to disco bars; and children everywhere dance because it
is pleasurable to express happiness through bodily movements. In its expressive aspects, dance is uniquely able to
intensify moods and emotions and to deepen and dignify the feelings of us all.

The area of the theatre or drama is another of the important arts. Dramatic activities are usually part of every
school and community program. Classes dramatize the events they are studying; clubs, organizations and
institutions stage plays. The play maybe a comedy, tragedy, mystery, musical or melodrama. In any of them, a
group of people act out of the plot to get across to the audience the idea the author is trying to express.

Essentially, the stage is a place for re-enacting the joys and problems of life, a place where the playwright strips
life of non-essentials and deals with basic and important issues. The spectators get involved in these situations and
thus gain greater insight into human motives and passions.

The motion picture is a popular addition to the various forms of the theatre. Through it, a great number of people
are able to see dramatic performances. The radio makes drama available for auditory sense and the imagination.
The television brings the art of the drama to many people. Theatrical productions, including motion pictures and
television, combine art forms.

The play itself is a form of literature. Scenery and costumes provide the visual arts, and music may serve as a
background to set the mood or to serve as part of the plot. The opera is a drama set to music. Thus, it is a form of
the theater. In many musical shows, dancers are also important performers. The theater, therefore, combines
several of the arts.

It is also necessary that we distinguish between art and nature for they are fundamentally different. We may be
impressed by the majesty of the perfect cone of Mayon Volcano, the awesome beauty of Pagsanjan Falls or the
sunset at Manila Bay and thus, react to the wonders of nature. No matter how close art is to nature, however, art
always shows that it is man-made. It is an interpretation of nature and of life.

What the Arts Have in Common

We have identified five areas of art: the visual arts, music, dance literature, and drama. But there is one thing that
is common to them all. What relates a painting to a song, a play to a dance?

The most basic relationship is that the arts are concerned with emotions, with our feelings about things. When a
person sees a picture, he thinks it is beautiful, or when he watches a play or dance, he thinks it is exciting, he feels
that it is lovely or stirring. His reaction is primarily emotional. People experience excitement, pleasure, anger, and
all the other emotional states in a way which is very different from their intellectual responses. Emotions are part
of our basic nature.

An Artist
An artist is a person who exhibits exceptional skills in design, drawing, painting, and the like who works in one of
the performing arts, like an actor or musician. Unlike other people, he is more sensitive and more creative. He
possesses, to an unusual degree, the knack for interpreting ideas into artistic form through the use of words,

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pigments, stone, notes, or any of the other materials used by artists. When he sees or learns something that
impresses him, he expresses himself in one medium or another so that others may understand it too.

He, thus, learns to project his creative impulse through the symbols of his art – a picture, a poem, or a piece of
music according to his present inspiration and his training. His process of creation, however, differs from that of an
amateur or beginner only in degree.

There are two kinds of artists – creator and performers. A composer writes a song to be sung by talented singers. A
dramatist or playwright writes a play to be staged by a company of actors. A choreographer composes a ballet or
dance sequence which will be performed by a troupe of dancers. Music, theater and dance are performing arts.
Besides the creators, they require other artists who recreate what has been composed. Thus, performers are
important.

A song cannot be considered complete until it has been sung; or a ballet until it has been danced.

Although the artistry of the performers is based on the creation of others, they bring individual interpretations to
their performances. Two great actors may play the same role in Florante at Laura yet give it vastly different
interpretations; two dancers may dance the same Lambada but render it quite differently. Thus, in the performing
arts, the ideas and the interpretations of the performer are added to the original ideas of the creator. This dual
contribution gives added richness and meaning to these fields of arts. It makes them different from painting, for
example, in which the creative artists communicate directly with the observer.

The Work of the Creative Artist

Creativity is an artist’s trait developed in the course of his life to solve problems or express his feelings.
The process of creativity is threefold, the artist as the prime mover, communicating his ideas through the
performer, as his interpreter to the audience. Each participates actively in the creative process, although in the case
of the reader, observer or listener, the intensity of the activity may be less than that of the artist who produces the
work.

The Process of Creation

Experts on the subject are one in their view that there are three major phases in the process of creation. First, the
artist must have an idea; second, he must a material in which to work on; and third, he must give form to his idea.

The Idea
Artists are highly sensitive persons especially aware of the things that surround him. They notice the sounds,
colors, and movements of people and things. Art expression is based on the so-called higher senses of sight and
sound, with the other senses playing more or less indirect roles. A particular experience may impress an artist so
much that he decides to use it as the basis for a picture, a poem, a play or a dance. An artist may be attracted to
anything that he decides to create an art where most people do not think beauty existed.

The Material and Process

The second phase of creation in art concerns the material which the artist uses to give form to his idea. A painter
uses pigments; a sculptor uses stone, metal or wood; an architect with various building materials. An author uses
words; a composer, his musical sounds which he sets down as notes; a choreographer uses people and their
movements as the materials for his creation.

The artists’ various materials have a profound effect on his products. Perhaps a sculptor and a musician both want
to do works of art which will show their deep religious feeling. The sculptor decides to carve a religious figure in
stone to be placed in church; the musician writes hymns to be sung in the same church. The sculpture is something
we can see or take in at a glance in its entirety, and so sculpture is an art of space. The hymn we hear takes a
number of minutes to be sung or the entire composition to be played, and so music is an art of time. All the arts fall
into either one or the other classification, The theater and opera, in which several of the arts are involved, are arts
of both space and time.

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Organization and Form
The third phase in creating is organizing the idea and giving it form in the selected material. In some of the arts,
certain forms of organization are standard and widely accepted. Popular songwriters use the accepted structure of
conventional 32-measure length. Symphonic composers use the accepted structure of four movements. Poetry has a
number of well-defined forms which are often used: the sonnet, the quatrain, the Spenserian stanza. Operas and
plays are always divided into a number of acts.

In several of the time arts, the works generally have a three-part structure: an introductory section which “sets the
stage” for what follows; a middle section which develops the plot, the melody, or the story; and a concluding
section which is the final working out of the forces and ideas which the artist has set in motion.
Style is a term which refers to the development of forms in art that is related to particular historical periods. Forms
in the space arts are often symmetrically balanced in their design; that is, the two sides of the object are identical.
This is true of most chairs, of most doorways, of many things that we use. The symmetrical balance tends to
emphasize the center, creating a logical focal point for something one wishes to emphasize.

Asymmetric balance is the kind of organization found in most paintings and other two-dimensional graphic works.
Here, the forms and colors one one-side are balanced by different forms and colors on the other.

In any field of art, it is the idea which is the important factor. The parts and organization into a final art product
grow out of that idea.

The arts are remarkable in their diversity, not only in subject matter but also in materials and forms. No rules can
govern either creation or appreciation. The artist is influenced by the world around him, so that his works reflects
the time and place in which he lives. If artists and critics do set rules to follow, other artists and critics will prove
the rules false. Authorities in arts state that the work of an artist must be judged against the background of the time
in which he lived.

The Scope of Humanities

The “humanities” is a many-faceted subject which consists of the visual arts, literature, drama and theater, music,
and dance.

Visual Arts
The visual arts are those that we perceive with our eyes and maybe classified into two groups namely: graphic art
(flat or two-dimensional surface) and plastic arts (three-dimensional),

A. The Graphic Arts. Broadly, this term covers any form of visual artistic representation, especially painting,
drawing, photography, and the like or in which portrayals of forms and symbols are recorded on a two-
dimensional surface. Printers also use the term graphic arts to describe all processes and products of the
printing industry.

1. Painting is a process of applying pigment to a surface to secure effects.involving forms and colors.
2. Drawing is the art of representing something by lines made on a surface or the process of portraying
an object, scene or forms of decorative or symbolic meaning through lines, shading, and textures in
one or more colors.
3. Graphic Processes. These are processes for making multi-reproduction of graphic works. All the
processes involve the preparation of a master image of the drawing or design on some durable material
such as wood, metal, or stone from which printing is done.
a. Relief Printing is the process whereby unwanted portions of design are cut away on the master
image. Printed image is formed by the remaining surface.
b. Intaglio printing is a method of printing from a plate on which incised lines, which carry the ink.

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 1. Drypoint. Here the artist draws directly on a metal plate with a sharp needle and scratches
lines, or grooves into the metal. For each print, ink is rubbed into the grooves and the
unscratched surface is wiped clean.
2. Etching. This is the art or process of producing drawings or designs on metal plates covered
with wax. The needle penetrates wax to the surface of the plate. The plate is then dipped in
acid, which eats the lines into the metal.
3. Engraving. This is done on a metal plate with a cutting tool called a barin which leaves a V-
shaped through. Drawings or designs on the plate are entirely composed of lines and/or dots.
c. Surface Printing includes all processes in which printing is done from a flat (plane) surface.
1. Lithography is the art or process of printing from a flat stone or metal plate by a method based
on the repulsion between grease and water. The design is put on the surface. The surface is
then treated so that ink adheres only to areas where drawing has been done.
2. Silkscreen. Silk is stretched over a rectangular frame and unwanted portions in the design

4. Commercial Art includes designing of books, advertisements, signs, posters, and other displays to
promote sale or acceptance of product, service or idea.
5. Mechanical Processes. These are developed by commercial printers for rapid, large-quantity
reproduction of words and pictures in one or more colors.
6. Photography is a chemical-mechanical process by which images are produced on sensitized surfaces
by action.

B. The Plastic Arts

This group includes all fields of the visual arts in which materials are organized into three-dimensional
forms.
1. Architecture is the art of designing and constructing buildings and other types of structures and is often
referred to as “the mother of the arts” because it houses, serves as backgrounds, or occurs in relation to
other fields of art.
2. Landscape Architecture is planning outdoor areas for human use and enjoyment.
3. City Planning refers to planning and arranging the physical aspects of a large or small community.
4. Interior Design is the art of designing and arranging architectural interiors for convenience and beauty
5. Sculpture is the art of design and construction of three-dimensional forms representing natural objects
or imaginary shapes.
6. Craft is the art of designing and making of objects by hand for use or for pleasure. If this is mass-
produced, they are classified as industrial design.
7. Industrial Design refers to design of objects for machine production.
8. Dress and Costumes refers to design of wearing apparel of all types.
9. Theatre Design is the design of settings for dramatic productions.

Literature
The art of combining spoken or written words and their meanings into forms which have artistic and emotional
appeal is called literature.
1. Drama is a form of literature.
2. Essay is a non-fiction, expository writing ranging from informal, personal topics to closely reasoned
critical treatments of important subject.
3. Prose Fiction includes narratives created by the author, as distinguished from true accounts. The word
“fiction” comes from a Latin word which means “to form”, “to Invent”, or “to feign”. Fiction is generally
divided into novel, novelette, and short-story.
4. Poetry is literature of a highly expressive nature using special forms and choice of words and emotional
images.
5. Miscellaneous: history, biography, letters, journals, diaries, and other works not formally classed as
literature often have definite literary appeal and status due to the high quality of the writing.

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Music
The art of arranging sounds in rhythmic succession and generally in combination. Melody results from this
sequence, and harmony from the combinations. Music is both a creative and a performing art.

1. Vocal Music is composed primarily to be sung. The voice or voices are generally accompanied by one or
more instruments.
2. Instrumental Music is written for instruments of four general types – keyboard; stringed; wind; percussion
3. Music Combined with Other Arts
a. Opera is a drama set to music. It is mostly or entirely sung with orchestral accompaniment.
b. Operetta and Musical Comedy is also a drama set to music but is light, popular, romantic, and often
humorous or comic. Operettas use spoken dialogue instead of recitative.
c. Oratorio and Cantata are sacred musical drama in concert form. These are made up of recited parts
(recitative), arias, and choruses, with orchestral accompaniment.
4. Other Forms of arts are the ballet music and background music for motion pictures.

Drama and Theater

A drama, or play is a story re-created by actors on a stage in front of an audience.
1. Tragedy is one of literature’s greatest dramatic art forms. It is a drama of serious nature in which the
central character comes to some sad or disastrous end.
2. Melodrama emphasizes action rather than on character. The action is sensational or romantic and usually
has a happy ending.
3. Comedy generally includes all plays with happy ending.
a. Romantic Comedy is a light, amusing tale of lovers in some dilemma which is finally solved happily.
b. Farce is a light, humorous play. The emphasis is on jokes, humorous physical action, ludicrous
situations, and improbable characters.
c. Comedy of Manners sometimes called “drawing room comedy” is sophisticated, sometimes satirical.
The characters are usually high-society types, and situations have little to do with real life. The
emphasis is on witty dialogue.
4. Miscellaneous
a. Tragicomedy is a drama blending tragic and comic elements but which ends happily.
b. Miracle and Mystery Plays are dramatized stories from the Bible and of the lives of saints.
c. Morality Plays are those in which characters represent specific vices and virtues.
d. Closet Drama is a term used to designate plays written for reading rather than for staging.
e. Piano Drama is based on piano works which resolve around musical pieces composed under the
inspiration of a literary work. This “piano drama” which is a recent innovation is combining the
interpretation of music with the recitation of poetry and the literary source of the music.

Dance
Dance involves the movement of the body and the feet in rhythm.
1. Ethnologic includes folk dancing associated with national and cultural groups.
2. Social or Ballroom Dances are popular types of dancing generally performed by pairs.
3. The Ballet is the formalized type of dance which originated in the royal courts of the Middle Ages. Ballet
dance may be either solo or concerted dances with mimetic actions accompanied by music. These are
generally built around a theme or story.
4. Modern dances are sometimes called contemporary or interpretative dances. These dances represent
rebellion against the classical formalism of ballet; they emphasize personal communication of moods and
themes.
5. Musical Comedy combines various forms of ballet, modern, tap, and acrobatics.

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Chapter 2 METHODS OF PRESENTING THE ART SUBJECTS

In presenting anything, certain methods are employed in order to be effective. Likewise, in presenting the
art subjects, the artist uses different methods to express the idea he wants to make clear.

Authorities on art are one in their view that the different methods used by the artists in presenting the art
subjects are:

1. Realism
2. Abstraction
3. Symbolism
4. Fauvism
5. Dadaism
6. Futurism
7. Surrealism

Realism

This is the attempt to portray the subject as it is. Even when the artist chooses a subject from nature, he selects,
changes, and arranges details to express the idea he wants to make clear. Realists try to be objective as possible.
Here, the artist’s main function is to describe as accurately and honestly as possible what is observed through the
senses. However, in the process of selecting and presenting his material, he cannot help being influenced by what
he feels or thinks.

We can say that an art or work is realistic when the presentation and organization of details in the work seem so
natural. Realism is a common way of presenting the art subject. Another example of this is Amorsolo’s paintings

“Madonna of the Slums” “Sunset” by Fernando Amorsolo

Vicente Manansala

In literature, realism has for its goal, the faithful rendering of the objective reality of human life. Since reality is the
necessary raw material of all art, realism has certainly existed since literature began.

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Poetry and drama were influenced by realism, but it was in the novel that realism achieved greatness.

Worthy of mention are Edgardo Reyes’ “Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag” and Efren Abueg’s “Dilim sa Umaga”. These
are novels of social commentaries which are realistically vivid and clearly presented.
Abstraction

This is used when the artist becomes so interested in one phase of a scene or a situation that he does not show the
subject at all as an objective reality, but only his idea, or his feeling about it.

Abstract means “to move away or separate” Abstract art moves away from showing things as they really are. The
painter or artist paints the picture not as it really looks like.

In sculpture, artists began doing abstract sculpture.

They ignored the exact form of a real-life object. They
feel that the texture and shape of a sculpture were more
important to them than the exact form. Example is the
Constantini Brancusi’s “Bird in Space”. He was
impressed by the grace of a bird in flight, by the sweep
of its body as it flies through the air, so he represented
those qualities in his sculptural work. His work does not
look like a bird for it is supposed to convey an
impression of a bird’s grace and speed.

Abstract subject can also be presented in many ways like:

a. Distortion. This is clearly manifested when the subject is in misshapen condition. Or the regular shape is
twisted out. Henry Moore’s sculptural works and the ancient Egyptian paintings and sculptural works are
good examples of this kind.

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 b. Elongation refers to that which is being lengthened, a protraction pr an extension. El Greco’s elongated
body of Christ in his “Resurrection” is an example.

Body of Christ in “Resurrection” of El Greco

Another example is this “La Femme a Leventail”

(Lady with a Fan) by Amedeo Modigliani

c. Mangling may not be a commonly used way of presenting an abstract subject, but there are few artists who
show subjects which are cut, lacerated, mutilated or hacked with repeated blows.

Mutilation art “Last Judgment Detail 2”

Hieronymus Bosch

d. Cubism stresses abstract form through the use of a cone, cylinder or sphere at the expense of other pictorial
elements. The cubists want to show forms in their basic geometrical shapes. Paul Cezanne’s works played
an important part in the development of cubism. It was further developed by George Braque of France and
Pablo Picasso of Spain.

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 Mount St. Victoire Guitar Player Marie Therese
Paul Cezanne Pablo Picasso

e. Abstract Expressionism. A style of abstract painting that originated in New York after World War II and
gained an international vogue. Although it has close antecedents in European Art, the term was first
applied to the New York School, whose work is characterized by great nerve, the use of large canvases,
and a deliberate lack of refinement in the application of the paint.

Strong color, heavy impasto, uneven brush strokes, and rough textures are other typical characteristics. In
other words, abstract expressionism departs completely from subject matter, from studied precision, and
from any kind of preconceived design. Jackson Pollock was one of the abstract expressionist painters of
the New York School.

Mural – Jackson Pollock

Symbolism
A symbol is a visible sign of something invisible such as an idea or a quality. It can be simply an emblem or sign
like % to represent percent, a lion to represent courage, a lamb to represent meekness. These well-known symbols
arise from conventional usage, association and general relationship. The conventional type of symbol is not absent
from works of art. But poetry and painting, the symbol has a freer development. It transcends the everyday run-of-
the-mill sign and assumes a new and fresh meaning, originating from a highly personal and even unique
association born in the mind of the poet or painter.
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Like in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Crossing the Bar”

“For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.

The last two lines are symbolical for it clearly shows the strong desire of the author to see God when he dies.

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains to go out
in search of the stray one? And if he manages to find it, I assure you that he is happier over that one than over the
ninety-nine that did not stray. So, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones should be
lost. – Matthew 18:12-14

The first parable of the lost sheep. The sheep signifies the children of God, but one of them sinned and God went
out of his way to look for the lost child and he is happy to bring him back to His fold since He really comes to save
the lost.

Spolarium by Juan Luna was painted in

Rome from July 1883 to March 1884
won First Prize in Madrid Exposition of
Fine Arts in 1884. Spolarium as a
Roman term referred to the spoils of
war, spoils of tyrants, and the king.
With the use of heavy and strong brush
strokes, Juan Luna expressed his anger
over the abuses and cruelties being
suffered during that time by his
countrymen from the Spanish
authorities. With the kind of lines and
colors used, he captured the pathos and
barbarism of a decadent empire.

The “Lion of Lucerne”, famous masterpiece of the early 19 th century, is dedicated in memory of the heroic fight
and final defeat of the Swiss Guards in 1792 in Paris. August 10 th of that year marks the beginning of the bloody
days of the French revolution with the storming of the royal palace, the Tuileries. The Swiss regiment of the
Guards had to lay down its arms by order of the king, Louis XVI, and as a result, was literally torn to pieces by the
murderous mob.

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 The “Lion of Lucerne”, famous
masterpiece of the early 19th century, is
dedicated in memory of the heroic
fight and final defeat of the Swiss
Guards in 1792 in Paris. August 10th of
that year marks the beginning of the
bloody days of the French revolution
with the storming of the royal palace,
the Tuileries. The Swiss regiment of
the Guards had to lay down its arms by
order of the king, Louis XVI, and as a
result, was literally torn to pieces by
the murderous mob.

The lion, always considered a symbol

of courage and strength, served the
artist to demonstrate a tragic event, a
fight to the death. The heart pierced by
a lance, the lion still holds its
protecting paw over the shield with the
lily coat of arms, emblem of the
Bourbon kings.
y
The erection of the monument was made possible by donations of comrades from other regiments and friends,
especially by the initiative of Ch. Pfyffer of Altishofen. Also, it was his idea to use as a symbol the dying lion. The
model is the work of the famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorwaldsen and was hewn into the rock by L. Ahorn. The
Latin inscription carved into the rock above the monument reads: “To the fidelity and bravery of the Swiss.”
Below follow the names of the 26 officers who fell defending the Tuileries.

Fauvism
The first important art movement of the 1900s. The fauves flourished as a group only from about 1903 to 1907, but
their style greatly influenced many later artists. Henri Matisse led the movement, and other important fauves
included Andre Derain, Raoul Dufy, and George Roualt, all from France.

The Joy of Living Estaque Oeuvres

Henri Matisse Andre Derain Raoul Dufy

Dadaism
A protest movement in the arts was formed in 1916 by a group of artists and poets in Zurich, Switzerland. The
Dadaists reacted to what they believed were outgrown traditions in art, and the evils they saw in society. They tried
to shock and provoke the public with outrageous pieces of writing, poetry recitals, and art exhibitions. Much dada
art was playful and highly experimental. The name “dada”, a French work meaning “hobby horse”, was
deliberately chosen because it was nonsensical. Perhaps the best known Dadaist was the French artist Marcel
Duchamp.

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 Landscape – Marcel Duchamp Cultural Fete – Marcel Duchamp

Futurism
It developed in Italy about the same time cubism appeared in France. Futurist painters wanted their works to
capture the speed and force of modern industrial society. Their paintings glorified the mechanical energy of
modern life.

The Uprising – Luigi Russolo The Noise of the Street – Umberto Boccioni

Surrealism
This movement in art and literature was founded in Paris in 1924 by the French poet Andre Breton. Like Dadaism,
from which it arose, surrealism uses art as a weapon against the evils and restrictions that surrealists see in society.
Unlike Dadaism, it tries to reveal a new and higher reality than that of daily life. Surrealism is an invented word
meaning super realism. This movement was influenced by the Freudian psychology which emphasizes the
activities of the subconscious state of the mind.

Subjects of this kind attempt to show what is inside a person’s mind as well as the appearance of his outside world.
The surrealists claim to create forms and images not primarily by reason, but by unthinking impulse and blind
feeling or even by accident. Using these methods, the surrealists declare that a magical world – more beautiful than
the real one – can be created in art and literature. Much of the beauty sought is violent and cruel. In this way, they
try to shock the viewer or reader and show what they consider the deeper and truer part of human nature.

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13
 Benjamin Mendoza, a
Bolivian painter, is well-
known in presenting
violent and cruel
surrealist paintings.

He attempted to
assassinate Pope Paul VI
in 1970 during the Papal
visit in Manila.

The assassination failed

and he was arrested and
imprisoned at the New
Bilibid Prison in
Muntinlupa then later
deported back to Bolivia

Expressionism
This method was introduced in Germany during the first decade of the 20 th century. Its influences were felt by the
European artists from 1910 up to the present. It also seemed to have influenced the playwrights in English and
Filipino like the works of Amelia Lapena-Bonifacio in Sepang Loca (1958). The exponents of expressionism
believed in the necessity of a spiritual rebirth for man in an age that was first becoming influenced by materialism.
Paul Dumol’s Paglilitis ni Mang Serapio (1969), and Revel Aguila’s Mapait sa Bao are plays which depicted the
idea of rebirth of the individual is possible only within the context of the transformation of the entire society.

Hindi ninyo nauunawaan ang kirot ng paghihintay. Hindi ninyo nauunawaan ang sindak ng pag-
iisa. Sol! ITO’Y KAMATAYAN! Araw-araw umuupo sa bangketa, binabantayan ang nagdaraang mga tao,
nagmamakaawa, nagpapalimos, Diyos ko! PABAYAAN NAMAN NINYONG ILIGTAS KO ANG AKING
SARILI MULA SA PAGKABULOK! Nabubulok na balat, nabubulok na kamay, nabubulok na laman,
nabubulok na ugat, nabubulok na buto.

This is one of the dialogues of Mang Serapio from Dumol’s Paglilitis ni Mang Serapio which expresses the truth,
life, or reality.

The emotional expressions in expressionistic paintings could be described as involving pathos, morbidity or chaos,
and tragedy. It sometimes portrays defeat.

Chapter 3 MEDIUMS OF THE VISUAL ARTS

Medium refers to the materials which are used by an artist. It is the means by which he communicates his ideas.
Many mediums have been used in creating different works of art. Medium is very essential to art.

PAINTING
Painting is the art of creating meaningful effects on a flat surface by the use of pigments. Different mediums are
used in painting. Each medium exerts a pronounced effect on the finished product, is capable of varied treatment
and determines its own stroke. The materials of the painter are pigments applied to wet plaster, canvas, wood or
paper.

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 a. Oil. In oil paintings, the pigments are mixed in oil. The surface used is usually canvas although other
surfaces like wood, paper and metal may be used. The most familiar type of painting is done with oils on
canvas. This method has been used since the 15th century. The surface to be suitable must receive oil paint
freely and yet not absorb it, can withstand temperature changes and not crack the pigment on it. Pigments
mixed with oil provide a medium that gives richness in the opacity of light and depth of shadow.

There are two methods of painting in oil:

1. direct method – The paints are opaque and are applied to the surface just as they are to look in the
finished product.
2. indirect method – The paint is applied in many thin layers of transparent color.
The direct method is more flexible method.

“Ballerina” – oil painting on canvas by Leonida Fremov

“Maria Makiling” – oil painting

by Carlos “Botong” Francisco

The painting was originally entitled “The Maid” in

1953
“Coquette” in 1960 and “Intere de un Café” or
“Interior of a Café” in 1983. It was only in 2002
when the painting was entitled “Parisian Life”
1. The three gentlemen’s (Luna, Rizal & Lin)
attention were caught while in the café in
Paris by a beautiful lady in period clothes
seated awkwardly on a plush sofa.
2. Juan Luna was probably projecting his
turbulence with his wife into his painting and
that he was asking for counsel from his two
friends.
3. The 3rd interpretation was submitted by UP
Fine Arts professor Roberto Fileo and his
students comparing the body of the lady to
the Philippine map
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 b. Tempera. Before oils were in general use, a type of painting called tempera was popular. This is a mixture
of ground pigments and an albuminous or colloidal vehicle, either egg, gum or glue, used by Egyptian,
Medieval and Renaissance painters.
The special characteristic of tempera is its being an emulsion. An emulsion is a watery, milk-like mixture
of oily and watery consistency. Tempera, not withstanding its oil content, dries readily with the
evaporation of water. This rapid drying is one of its advantages.

Tempera painting is usually done on a wooden panel that has been made smooth with a coating of plaster.
The colors are mixed with egg yolk. Since the paint dries rapidly, there is little blending or fusing of colors
in tempera painting.

“River of Tulips” – Tempera painting

By Nat Wildish

“Lotus Girl” – Tempera painting

By Corinazone

c. Watercolor. Good watercolor paintings are not easy to make. They require a high degree of technical
dexterity. In watercolor, pigments are mixed with water and applied to fine, white paper. The colors are
applied in very thin layers. In pure watercolor painting, all the light comes from the ground.

Opaque watercolor is called “gouache”. It is made by grinding opaque colors with water and mixing the
product with a preparation of gum by adding Chinese white to transparent water colors. Watercolor is a
process familiar to every school child.

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 Watercolor painting by Iguan

d. Pastel is the most recent medium. It possesses only surfaces of light, gives no glazed effect and most
closely resembles dry pigment. The pigment is bound so as to form a crayon which is applied directly to
the surface, usually a paper.

It is not a very popular medium because no one has yet discovered the way to preserve its original
freshness. The chalk tends to rub off and the picture loses some of its brilliance.

e. Fresco is the most popular type of painting. The colors are mixed with water and applied to fresh plaster
which absorbs the color. Since the pigment has been incorporated with the plaster, it lasts until the wall is
destroyed. Fresco painting flourished during the 15th and 16th centuries when Masaccio, Michelangelo,
Raphael, Tintoretto, and others covered the wall of Italian churches with their masterpieces. In Italian,
“fresco” means fresh and is used to designate the process of painting in fresh wet plaster.

The Sistine Chapel in Rome is magnificently decorated with paintings by Michelangelo. The series of
frescoes remain as one of the world’s greatest achievements in art. During the 17 th, 18th, and 19th centuries,
the interest in fresco painting declined, but the 20th century has seen a renewed interest in mural painting
done in this medium.

f. Acrylic is the newest medium and widely used by painters today. These are synthetic paints using acrylic
emulsion as binder. They combine the transparency and quick-drying qualities of watercolor and are as
flexible as oil. They are completely insoluble when dry and can be used almost on any surface. They also
do not tend to crack and turn yellow with age.

“Blue on Red” by Marina Petro “Flowers” by Zampedron

Some Famous Filipino Painters

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Fernando Amorsolo – a portraitist and a painter of rural Philippine landscapes. His paintings oftern portrayed
traditional Filipino culture, customs, fiestas, and occupation.

Fabian dela Rosa – noted for being an outstanding painter of women’s portrait. He was also best remembered for
painting landscapes and every scenes with women depicted as simple yet regal in doing daily activities such as
weaving, chatting, going to church, planting rice in the fields and washing clothes.

Carlos “Botong” Francisco – single-handedly brought back the art of mural painting in the Philippines. He was
best known for his historical epics.

Jose Joya – a Filipino abstract painter pioneered abstract expressionism in the Philippines. He adapted the value of
kinetic energy and spontaneity in painting, mastering the art of gestured painting where paint is applied using
broad brush strokes.

Ang Kiukok – first attained prominence in the 1960s. He fused influences from cubism, surrealism and
expressionism. Some classified his style as “figurative expressionism”.

Juan Luna – “Spolarium” won first prize in the 1884 National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid. His other
masterpieces are the “Death of Cleopatra” and the “Blood Compact” where Dr. Jose Rizal was one of his model.

Vicente Manansala – a Philippine cubist painter and illustrator. His canvases were described as masterpieces that
brought the cultures of the barrio and city together. “Madonna of the Slums”, “Jeepney” and “Stations of the
Cross” are some of his masterpieces.

Hernando R. Ocampo – a painter of miniature portraits and religious images. He was known for his miniature
portraits on ivory and oil portraits on canvas.

Mauro Malang Santos – a self-taught painter who began his career as a comic strip illustrator. He paints freely
and unencumbered in gouache and oil pastel. His paintings have been said to celebrate the Philippine landscape, its
people and traditions in happy fiesta colors.

Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera – a pioneer among Filipino painters. His skillful and soulful depiction of social
issues, most especially those most relevant to Filipinos, is believed by many to be the foundation of his success.

SCULPTURE
The substances available for sculpture are limitless. Some of the earliest sculptures were made of bone or wood.
Modern sculptors use a variety of materials for work. Different materials require different methods of handling.

There are two major sculpture processes used:

Subtractive – a process in which the unwanted material is cut away. Stone and wood are two major
mediums used to make sculpture by the subtractive process.

Additive – a process by joining or combining together small pieces of materials. The materials may
also be rigid or semi-rigid such as metal wires, rods and plates which are combined by
soldering or welding.

Sculpture in general may be divided into two types:

Relief – figures which are attached to a ground like “Stela of Akhenaten”

Free-Standing – can be seen from all sides like the UP Oblation

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 Louis XIV on horseback - Relief The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen – Free Standing

Stone and Bronze

The media most commonly used for sculpture are stone and metal. Stone is durable, resistant to the elements, fire
and other hazards. On the other hand, it is heavy and breaks easily. Marble is the most beautiful of stones. It has
been the favorite material in Greece and Italy where it is plentiful. Because of its hardness, it is more or less
permanent.

Pieta of Michelangelo - marble John Wesley at Wesley Chapel in Bristol - Bronze

The most commonly used traditionally was bronze. The bronze may be solid in small statues but most large statues
are hollow because using a solid metal would make the statue very heavy and expensive. There is also a tendency
for it to crack when cooled. One disadvantage is the difficulty and intricacy in casting bronze. Its rich color and
smooth texture make it one of the most beautiful of all the media for sculpture.

Wood. The advantage of wood is that it is cheap, readily available, and easy to cut. It also polishes well and has a
smooth shiny surface and beautiful color. It is relatively light and can be made easily into a variety of shapes.

The main drawback in using wood is that it is limited in size and burns easily. Wooden sculptures are known to
discolor and decay easily in the Philippine climate.

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 Wooden sculptures of religious images in Paete, Laguna

Ivory. Unlike wooden sculpture, a large number of old ivory sculptures have survived to the present time. The
survival is due to the intrinsic value of the material. Ivory lends itself to technical mastery. It is also popular to
ordinary craftsmen. Many statues of saints in Philippine churches and homes have heads and arms made of ivory.
Ivory though, lacks the vigor of wooden statues. Like wood, it also cracks. Like terra cotta, ivory is seldom used
today and is also banned because elephant is now an endangered species where ivory comes from.

Ivory sculpture from mammoth tusk Running Horses on the Wild – mammoth ivory tusk

Terra Cotta. Very few materials are as responsive to a sculptor’s hand and tools as is plastic clay. It yields to even
the slightest pressure and can be worked and re-worked until the artist has achieved what he wants to do. Unfired
clay is a fragile material and sculpture in this medium would have a short life. For a more durable work in clay, the
sculptor can fire the original in a kiln.

The result is usually referred to as terra cotta, which literally means “cooked earth”. It is a moderately coarse clay
product fired at comparatively low temperature. Terra cotta breaks and chips easily.

Terra Cotta sculpture of a horse Terra Cotta Warriors of China

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Other Materials. The list of materials available to modern sculpture has become longer. The metals aluminum,
chromium, and steel, plastic, chemically treated clay and stone for casting in liquid form are now being used.

Metal Lion sculpture by Selcuk Yilmaz Blown Away –metal sculpture by Penny Hardy

ARCHITECTURE
The art of designing and constructing a building. It is also by its definition functional. One of the primary purposes
of architecture is to fulfill a need that led to its creation. Since the needs of different periods in history varied,
different architectural styles evolved.

The style must accommodate and express the function of the structure. It must also address the future, providing
for adaptability and the capacity to survive the less of its original function. It must also be able to provide for
functions which are unknown at the moment of construction.

Availability of materials is often also an important factor in architecture. Durability and beauty are also other
factors often considered in the choice of materials.

The type of construction to be employed also determines the choice of materials to be used.

Post-and-Lintel

Post-and-lintel consists of two vertical posts for support

(post) and a horizontal one (lintel). Example of post-and-
lintel construction is the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. It
has become synonymous with perfection in art.

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Arch

Arch is dominant in Roman architecture. It is an

architectural form built from pieces of wood called
voussoirs with joints between them and are arranged in
a semi-circle. All materials in arch are in compression.
Since stone can stand great pressure and is durable, this
method is typical for stone construction. The dome is an
extension of the principle of the arch. It is a roof
resembling an inverted cup formed by rounded arches
of vaults rising from a round or many sided base.

Cantilever

The cantilever is any structural part projecting

horizontally and anchored at one end only. This
method of construction needs a beam with a great
tensile strength that can be securely fastened at the
supported end. The cantilever is utilized largely in
buildings with steel as a medium. Wood is also suited
to cantilever construction because of its strength, but
its use is limited since it has the tendency to warp, sag
and rot.

Parthenon in Athens, Greece

Built about 454-438 B.C. as a temple of the Greek goddess
Athena

Wood is the common building material today. Its advantages are its abundance, relative durability and high tensile
and compression strength. However, it is easily destroyed by moisture, insects and fire. A new material, plywood,
has greatly improved the structural possibilities of wood. In relation to its weight, plywood which comes in thin
sheets, is probably stronger than any known material.

Stone is the material used in most of the great architecture of the world where permanence is desired. Concrete is a
building material made of sand and gravel mixed with cement. Like stone, it has compressive strength. It doesn’t
easily crumble or break down when subjected to heavy weights. It does not rot or corrode and is fire resistant. For
stronger structures, ferro-concrete or reinforced concrete is used. It is concrete reinforced with steel.

Steel is still in great demand today. It is a tough alloy of iron in variable amounts. It is malleable under proper
conditions and greatly hardened by sudden cooling. The use of structural steel makes it possible for the architect to
build many of the present day structures without worrying about the problem of space and weight of other
materials. It has also made possible the building of the high-rise structures which are very popular these days.

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Chapter 4 ELEMENTS OF THE VISUAL ARTS

Whenever we see an art object, we cannot fail to notice several things: shape or form, texture, space and lines
which the artist used in expressing his ideas. These are called the elements of the visual arts. Like medium,
elements are present in every art form.

Line is an important element at the disposal of every artist. Through lines of a painting or sculpture, the artist can
make us known what the work is about. He uses lines to represent figures or curved.

Lines always have direction. They are always moving. Lines, as used in any work of art, may either be straight or
curved.

Man usually lies prone when asleep or when at rest and stands erect when in action. He stands stiff and straight
when resistant or stern, and relaxes when in a playful mood and the lines of his body fall into easy curves. When in
motion, he bends forward; when he encounters an opposing force, he braces against it.

We have learned that certain emotional states always find expression through definite positions. We associate the
emotions with the lines that define their accompanying positions. When given a work of art, we call upon our
unconscious with its accompanying emotional state. Straight lines are always associated with the ideas of
steadiness and force, curved lines with flexibility, buoyancy, and grace. The straight line moves in one direction
only. It may either be horizontal, vertical or diagonal.

Horizontal lines are lines of repose and serenity. They express ideas of calmness and quiescence. Horizontal lines
are found in reclining persons, in landscapes, calm bodies of water and in the distant meeting of the earth and sky
in what is commonly called the horizon. The horizontal lines of the sarcophagus of King Tut are suggestive of
repose.

Sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun

Vertical lines are lines poised for action. They are posed, balanced, forceful, and dynamic. Vertical lines seen in a
person standing straight, a tall tree, statues of saints and heroes give an impression of dignity. Vertical lines also
tend to express as well as arouse emotions of exaltation and inquietude and this is evident in monumental
architecture.

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 Rizal Monument Lapu-Lapu Monument Washington Monument
Diagonal lines suggest action and movement. They give animation to any composition in which they appear.
Almost every object in action assumes a diagonal line. A running person makes a diagonal line with his body and
legs. The degree of action is shown by the angle of the diagonal.

Curve lines suggest grace, movement, flexibility and joyousness. They are never harsh or stern since they are
formed by a gradual change in direction. They tend to impart these qualities to any work where they are used. The
curved lines of the woman’s body and the bamboo stern where according to Philippine legend, man and woman
sprang.

“Si Malakas at Si Maganda”

Lines may also be classified into three groups: lines which follow or repeat one another, lines which contrast with
one another and transitional lines which modify or soften the effect of others.

Repetition occurs when two or more lines are drawn within a corner following the lines of the corner. Lines that
are in opposition to each other form a contrast. When a curved line cuts across a corner from an opposition line to
another, it forms a transition line. Transitional lines modify the sharpness of vertical and horizontal lines giving a
harmonizing effect.

A suggests repetition, B and C show contrast and D transition

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Color
Delight in color is a universal human characteristic. Color is a property of light. When light goes out, color goes
with it.

The white light of the sun contains all the colors of the spectrum; violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and
red. These colors are co blended that they yield no sensation of color. When a beam of light passes through a
prism, the different rays of color are separated so that we are able to see and identify them. When light strikes a
surface, some of the color rays are absorbed while others are reflected. Others pass through, especially when the
object is transparent. Most surfaces absorb all the color rays except those which yield a single color sensation and
therefore appear to be of that color. A blue dress absorbs all the color rays except the blue ray which it reflects. A
red ball absorbs all the color rays except the red ray which are reflected to the eyes of the beholder. Objects that
appear to be black absorb practically all the color rays and reflect none, while objects that appear white reflects all
the color rays equally. Gray is due to the partial reflection of the color rays. White, gray and black have no color
quality. They are called the neutral colors.

Color has three dimensions or attributes: hue, value and intensity.

Hue is the dimension of color that gives color its name. When we say the flower is yellow, we are naming its hue.
Color names such as red, green, violet, and yellow indicate the color characteristic called hue. Blue, red and yellow
are the primary hues. If these primary hues are mixed in equal parts, the secondary hues are produced. The
secondary hues are orange, green and violet. Orange is produced by mixing red and yellow; green by mixing
yellow and blue; and violet by mixing blue and red.

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