Chapter 1

The Study of the Humanities and the Arts

What are the Humanities?

The word Humanities comes from the Latin humanus,
which means human, cultured, refined. They are not
the branches of learning based on the philosophy and
ethical perspective of humanism, which emphasizes the
value and agency of human beings, individually and
collectively, and generally prefers individual thought
and evidence over established doctrine or faith.
The humanities are the stories, the ideas, and the words that
help us understand our lives and our world. They introduce us
to people we have never met, places we have never visited, and
ideas that may never have crossed our minds.

By showing how others have lived and thought about life, the
humanities help us decide what is important and what we can do
to make our own lives and the lives of others better. By
connecting us with other people, the humanities point the way to
answers about what is ethical and what is true to our diverse
heritage, traditions, and history.
• They help us address the challenges we face together as
families, communities, and nations. As fields of study, the
humanities emphasize analysis and exchange of ideas and
may be interdisciplinary.
 History and Art History study human, social, political, and
cultural developments, as well as aspects of the Social Sciences
that use historical or philosophical approaches.
 Literature, Languages, and Linguistics, as well as certain
approaches to Journalism and Communication Studies, that
explore how we communicate with each other, and how our
ideas and thoughts on the human experience are expressed and
interpreted.
 Philosophy, Ethics, and Comparative Religion, which
consider ideas about the meaning of life and the reasons for
our thoughts and actions.

 Jurisprudence, which examines the values and principles which

inform our laws.
 Poetry, painting, philosophy, and music are not, generally
speaking, products of unstructured leisure or indulgent
individuality, rather, they are tangible expressions of that
human quest for the good life. Throughout history, these forms
of expression have serve the domains of the sacred, the
ceremonial, and the communal.
And even in the early days of the twenty first century, as
many time-honored traditions come under assault, the
arts retain their power to awaken our imagination in the
quest for survival, commonality, and self-knowledge.

At present, here is a list of subject often covered in humanities

courses:
1. Painting
2. Sculpture
3. Architecture
4. Literature
5. Music
6. Theatre
7. Dance
8. Film
Painting, sculpture, architecture, and photography are
collectively called as visual arts. Visual arts or spatial
arts are those art forms that we perceive with our eyes,
and which occupy space.

Music and literature, on the other hand, are referred to as

auditory arts. Auditory or temporal arts are those art
forms that can be heard and expressed in time. Music is the
one art form that is entirely defined by time. Once a piece
of music is finished being performed, technically, when the
last of its echoes fades, it’s gone.
Finally, theater, dance, and film are classified as the
combined arts. Combined arts, also known as the
performing arts since it involves performance, are those
that can be both seen and heard, and these art forms unfold
in both space and time
Here are a few examples of how one can actually engage in
a pursuit of the humanities:
1. Visit a park. Visit a museum. Visit a library. Visit a college
campus. Visit a craftsman’s workbench. Visit an artist’s
studio.
2. Watch a film. Watch a concert. Watch a parade. Watch a
dance performance.
3. Sing a song. Dance to a beat. Play a musical instrument.
Recite a poem from memory. Create a work for art. Say
what you think.
4. Attend a lecture. Attend a symphony concert. Attend an
art gallery exhibit. Attend a festival.
5. Look at a piece of art. Study it. Step back. Look at the
piece beside it. Ask yourself: Why are these pieces next to
each other? Why is this art? Step back again. Ask yourself:
How does seeing more change the way you see the art?
6. Stop outside a building you pass everyday. Look at its
design. Do you know the name of its architectural style? Do
you like it? What appeals to you? What would you do
differently? Get a book about architecture and learn about
architectural style. Find other examples of that style and
compare them. Take a walk with a colleague and debate the
architecture you see.
7. Listen to a band. Listen to debate. Listen to a well-tuned
machine. Listen to a diner ordering dinner. Listen to poet
explaining a poem. Listen to a photographer describing a photo.
Listen to an architect explaining a building’s design.

8. Read a novel. Read a poem. Read the directions on a shampoo

bottle. Read a blog. Read an essay. Read a review of a book you have
not read yet. Read a sacred text. Read your diary. Read to a kid. Read
the lyrics to a song you love. Read a libretto.
9. See a play with a friend. Go early. Wander through the theater.
View the stage from different angles. Read the program. Learn about
the actors. Watch the play. Study the set. Notice the lighting. Listen
to reactions. Find a place to have coffee. Discuss the play. Go to
another play. Repeat the process.
 Why Study the Humanities?
The answer is that the humanities make us more human –
in the very best sense of that word “human.” We can, by
studying what other men and women have believed,
created, and understood, also become better human
beings. We can learn more about ourselves, about other
people and about the world around us. We can realize our
own potentials, and the potentials of others, much more
thoroughly.
Humanities expand our knowledge of human cultures and
help us understand what binds us together and what
differentiates us from one another.

In addition to these high-level insights, however, they also

provide practical applications that can enhance your
professional skillset and give you a competitive edge.
Humanities studies help us understand ourselves, others
and the world. Studying humanities help us better
understand who we are, our identity as a people, a
society and culture, and how to organize our societies so
we can achieve our goals.
How to Study the Humanities: Text, Context,
and Subtext

To study the Humanities is to engage in a dialogue with the past,

one that brings us face to face with the values of our ancestors,
and ultimately, with our own. This dialogue is (or should be) a
source of personal revelation and delight; our new encounters
will be enriched according to the degree of curiosity and
patience we bring to them. Just a lasting friendships with
special people are cultivated by extended familiarity, so our
appreciation of a painting, a play, or a symphony depends on
close attention and repeated contact.
There are no shortcuts to the study of humanistic
disciplines, but there are some techniques that may be
helpful. It is useful for instance, to approach each
primary source from the triple perspective of its text,
context, and subtext.
 Text
The text of any primary source refers to its medium (that is, what
is made of), its form (its outward shape), and its content (the
subject its describe). Whether intended to be spoken or lead,
literature depends on the medium of words. The literary form
varies according to the manner in which words are arrange. So
poetry which shares with music and dance rhythmic organization,
may be distinguish from prose, which normally lacks rhythmic
pattern. The main purpose of prose is to convey information, to
narrate, and to describe; poetry, by its freedom from conventional
patterns of grammar, provides unique opportunities for the
expression of intense emotions.
 Context
Context consists of all of the things about the artwork that might have
influenced the artwork or the maker (artist). These would include
when the work was made; where it was made (both culturally and
geographically); why it was made; and possibly some other details or
information. Contextualism—looking at the cultural context of an
artwork—can deepen and/or improve our understanding of an
artwork, but it may or may not change our first impressions; and
it doesn't really have an effect on formal analysis. With some
additional contextual information about the time, the culture, and the
maker/artist of an artwork, we can become more informed. All
artworks exist in a context—more accurately, all artworks exist
in multiple contexts.
Context, in analysis of the humanities, refers to factors that surround a
work of art or literature but may not be stated explicitly. This
background information informs our deeper understanding of the work
in question and allows us to analyze, rather than summarize, what we
are studying.
We use the word context to describe the historical and
cultural background or environment of the artwork. To
determine the context, we ask:

1. In what time and place did the artefact originate?

2. How did it function within society in which it was created?
3. Was the purpose of the piece decorative, didactic, magical,
propagandistic?
4. Did it serve the religious or political needs of the community or
both?
 Subtext
Subtext is the implicit meaning of a text—the
underlying message that is not explicitly stated or
shown. Subtext gives the reader information
about characters, plot, and the story’s context as
a whole.
 What is an example of subtext in dialogue?
 They've argued on the trip and the young bride is upset
because she thought things would be different once they were
married. The husband responds, his dialogue strong with
subtext: “Well, you see, sweetheart,” he said, “we're not really
married yet. I mean.
 What is the example of Subtext in
Literature?
 Writers use subtext to show the thoughts and emotions of
their characters without explicitly stating them. For example,
take the following excerpt from “The Catcher In The Rye” by
J.D Salinger: “If you really want to know about my family I'll
tell you some more about them later on maybe after we get
where we're going.”
 Beyond The Humanistic Discipline

This book offers only small, enticing samples from

enormous cultural buffet. To dine more fully, students
are encourage to go beyond the sampling presented at
this table; and for the most sumptuous feasting, nothing
can substitute for the first-hand experience. Students,
therefore, should make every effort to supplement this
book with visits to art museums and galleries, concert
halls, theaters, and libraries. Below are some cultural
events.
 Classical Musical Concert

There are several different types of classical concerts that

are differentiated based on the number of performers, the
instruments used, the genre of music being performed and
other factors. Here are the most common types of
concerts:
Chamber Orchestra Concerts
Children's or Family Concerts
Choral Music Concerts
Concert Band Concerts
Opera
 Chamber Orchestra Concerts

 Generally, the orchestra in this type of

concert is composed of 40 or fewer
musicians who perform with or without a
conductor. There are also other types of
chamber orchestras based on the number of
musicians, the kind of instruments used and
the type of music performed.
Chamber Orchestra Concerts
 Children's or Family Concerts

 This type of concert is less formal and shorter

than other concerts. It features young
instrumentalists belonging to a school, a
church or a family of musicians. The number of
performers, the types of instruments and the
repertoire varies. This type of concert often
appeals to the whole family.
Children's or Family Concerts
 Choral Music Concerts

Choral music is music performed by a group of singers

or a choir. The singers may perform without
accompaniment, or may be accompanied by any
instrumental combination, from piano to full orchestra.
Choral music is necessarily “polyphonal” i.e.,
consisting of two or more autonomous vocal lines.
Choral Music Concerts
 Concert Band Concerts

 This type of concert consists of musicians

playing percussion and wind instruments, but
other types of instruments may be added
depending on the music piece. Concert bands
are also called wind ensembles, wind bands,
symphonic bands, etc. The repertoire varies;
from classical to contemporary music. There are
also different types of concert bands such as
school bands and community bands.
Concert Band Concerts
 Opera
 An opera combines music with several other
elements including costumes, stage design,
singing, and dancing. Most operas are sung,
with no spoken lines. The music is either
performed by a small group of musicians or a
full orchestra. Music that has been pre-
recorded may also be used. There are several
types of opera; such as comic opera, also
known as light opera. Comic opera usually
tackles light, not so delicate subject matter
where the ending often has a happy resolution.
Opera
 Theater
A theatre is a building with a stage in it,
on which plays, shows, and other
performances take place. If we went to
the theatre it was a very big event. I
worked at the Grand Theatre.
Synonyms: playhouse, auditorium,
coliseum, amphitheater.
Theater
 Art Gallery or Museum

 An art museum or art gallery is a building or

space for the display of art, usually from the
museum's own collection. It might be in
public or private ownership, be accessible to
all, or have restrictions in place.
Art Gallery or Museum
 Dance

 The movement of the body in a rhythmic way,

usually to music and within a given space, for
the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion,
releasing energy, or simply taking delight in
the movement itself.
Dance
 LECTURE

 Instructors can use lectures to help students easily

acquire knowledge of terms, basic facts, and simple
concepts. Lectures are as effective, but not more
effective, than other methods in transmitting simple
information (Bligh, 2000). The lecture method may
match students' expectations of student and teacher
roles.
Lecture
 The Evolving Paradigms on the Nature
of Art
What is art? According to the Greeks, art is an imitation of
reality. Art is imitative or representation: it copies something
in the real world. Perhaps this is the simplest and earliest
view on the nature and meaning of art. The painting of a
landscape copies or represents the real landscape.
For Plato, the idealist, art is an imitation. In his republic, he
use the example of bed. The painting of a bed is a copy of a
concrete bed, which is itself a copy of the ideal form of a
bed. If art is imitating an imitation of an ideal, then, art is
doubly divorced from reality and doubly inferior.
THE VALUES OF ART
How can we tell if an artwork is great? Works of art have certain
standards by which all artworks can be measured for evaluation.
Great works of art are distinguished by the following qualities.
They are:
AESTHETIC VALUE
INTELLECTUAL VALUE
SUGGESTIVENESS
SPIRITUAL VALUE
PERMANENCE
UNIVERSALITY
STYLE
FORM
AESTHETIC VALUE
The concept of “aesthetic value” refers to that value
which causes an object to be a “work of art” This is a
quality which appeals to our sense of beauty.
INTELLECTUAL VALUE
An artwork stimulates thought. It enriches our mental
life by making us realize fundamental truths about
ourselves, about other human beings, and about the
world around us.
Suggestiveness
This is the quality associated with the emotional power of
art. Great works of art move as deeply the stir our feeling
and imagination, giving and evoking visions above and
beyond the plain of ordinary life and experience.
Spiritual Value
Art elevates the spirit by bringing out moral values which
makes us better person. The capacity to inspire is part of
the spiritual value of art.
Permanence
A great work of an art endures. It can be viewed again and
again as each encounter gives fresh delight and new insights
and opens new worlds of meaning and experience. Its appeal
lasting.
(The psychological understanding that objects still exist even
when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched.)
Once acquired by a museum, an artwork receives measure of
care, display and preservation that ensure its object
permanence, even when the work is in storage.
UNIVERSALITY

Great art is timeless and timely. It is forever relevant and

appeals to one and all, anytime, anywhere because it deals
with elemental feelings, fundamental truths, and universal
conditions.
Further, art is timeless because it continually evolves. Aside
from artists birthing new artworks, they also never stop
innovating. Re-creating, reinventing and reviving works of
art in the past to establish new style and identity. And most
of all, to capture audience’s interest and attention in the
recent world.
Style
This is the peculiar way in which an artist sees his
subject, forms his ideas, and expresses them. Great
artworks are marked as much by their memorable
substance as well as by their distinctive style. Style should
suit content.
Form
Artistic forms are skeletal structures or conceptual
frameworks designed to support or enclose parts of the
works of art. It is the organization, arrangement, or
framework of an artwork; the manner of style of
constructing, arranging, and coordinating the parts of a
composition for a pleasing or effective result. Every artistic
form is the orderly method of arrangement and presentation
of an artwork’s part or ideas; it is the course of its
reasoning, its development, and the manner in which its
elements are coordinated.
 The Four Coordinates of Art Criticism
What is Art Criticism?
It is the practice of analyzing, interpreting, and making some
form of judgement about given works of art whether verbally
or in written format.
Every work of art, such as a poem, a novel, an essay, a play a
musical piece, a painting, etc’., has four basic coordinates:
1. The subject matter;
2. The artist;
3. The audience
4. The own form
In analyzing a work of art, one may ask questions regarding
these coordinates, such as: (relating to the subject matter)
What is about? What does it depict or represent? What is
trying to say?;(relating to artist) Who created it? What sort a
man is he?

What does his work reveal about him?; (relating to the

audience) what is relevance or importance? Of what is value to
me? How do I react it to?; (Its own form) What is the nature
and structure of this composition? What expressive elements
have been employed to carry and convey the meaning of the
work? How this elements combined and integrated to convey
this meaning? What principles have been observe in the
integration of these expressive elements? Does the application
of these principles (and the choice and integration of the
expressive elements)
These four coordinates of art are the bases for the four
principal approaches to art criticism and appreciation.
These four approaches are;

1. Mimetic (based on the subject matter);

2. Expressive (based on the artist);
3. Pragmatic (based on the audience); and
4. Aesthetic or formal (based on the form)
 Activity 1. INTERACT WITH AN ARTWORK
ART CRITIQUE

INSTRUCTIONS: Fill in the chart below to DESCRIBE,

ANALYZE, INTERPRET, AND DECIDE your chosen artwork.
Describe – What are the things you see in this artwork?
Explain everything you see about this artwork, even if you
don’t know what it is.

Analyze – How are the elements of art used in this artwork?

Interpret – What is going on in this artwork? What is the
purpose of this artwork?
Decide – Do you like this piece of art? WHY or WHY NOT? What
is the best thing about this artwork? What is the worst thing
about this piece?
THE WORKS OF FERNANDO AMORSOLO
THE FOUR COORDINATES OF ART CRITICISM

SUBJECT MATTER
“ART is an imitation of an imitation of reality…” (Plato,
Greek philosopher)
“ART is a reflection or a mirror of reality.” (Aristotle,
Greek philosopher)
(A reflection of a mirror is most assuredly real.)
With respect to subject matter, art is an imitation,
depiction, or representation of some aspect of nature or
life. That which is imitated, depicted, or represented in
art is its subject matter.
Anything in the universe may serve as the subject of art: aspects of
nature such as the sea, sky, fields, forests, mountains, animals, etc.,
(often depicted in paintings)

According to subject matter, art may be classified into two

types:
Representational or Figurative Art
– Figurative drawing, also called life drawing, is an artistic
technique focused on capturing the human form. It encompasses
everything from highly technical and anatomically correct
interpretations of the human figure to looser, more abstract
sketches.
Figurative Art
Non-representational or Non-objective Art

Non-objective, also called non-representational, art defines art

that does not represent or depict any identifiable person, place
or thing. The content of the work is its color, shapes, texture, size
and scale. Color-field painting (think Mark Rothko) is an
example of non-objective art.
Non- representational or Non-objective Art
The concept of art as imitation may be traced back
to two Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle
Plato , the idealist, believes that art is far removed from
reality which exist in the realm of ideals or universals, of
which our world is but an imperfect imitation, and art is,
in turn, only imitation of our world.
Plato says that art imitates the objects and events of
ordinary life. In other words, a work of art is a copy of a
copy of a Form. It is even more of an illusion than is
ordinary experience. On this theory, works of art are at
best entertainment, and at worst a dangerous delusion.
Aristotle, an empiricist, rejected the belief in the realm of ideals.
He taught that reality exist right in our own world, around us and
within us as perceived by our senses. Art is “ a mirror of reality”
and therefore brings us in contact with it.
The Artist, Writer, or Creator
From the point of view of the artist (poet, essayist, fiction
writer, dramatist, painter, sculptor or architect), art is a means
of expression, a medium for communicating an idea, an
emotion or some other human experience, an impression of
life, a vision of beauty. And because the artist puts something
of himself into his art, it becomes an extension of himself, an
objectification of some aspect of his personality of the artist.
Audience or Readers
From the viewpoint of the audience (readers in the case of
literature, viewers in the case of visual arts, and listeners in the
case of music), art is experience; for what is a poem unless one
can read it; what is a painting unless one can see it, and what is
a sonata unless one can hear it? Art always has an audience, even
if this audience is none other than the artist himself.
Form
 With respect to form ( the manner of imitation, how the subject
matter is handled and presented), art is a composition, a whole
consisting of various parts or elements; the selection,
organization, and integration of these elements according to
certain formal principles and employing certain techniques
constitute that which we can call the form of art.